Tattered Slippers
by Linsneakers
Summary: ::Spoilers-Cancelled:: His tears burned against his cheeks, ridiculing him, smiting him. They brought the same pain his heart did. She...she might never remember who she once was...And the others...they may never forgive him...
1. Prolouge

T**a**t**t**ered Sl**i**ppers

_P__**r**__ologue_

---

The air drummed against the window, beating along with the young girl's heart. Her mind, it was empty. Her eyes, they remained close. Her breathing, shallow and fragile. The marks on her face flared up against her pale skin, while her expression stepped in as...peaceful yet pained. The man sitting by her feet could only stare with sad and solemn eyes, hoping she would wake soon and beat him senseless for doing what he did. Leaning forward, he lightly brushed his fingers along a scar on the girl's face. She did not flinch, she did not move. The man grimaced at the touch himself. She felt cold...

He was an idiot, he could admit to that himself. A worthless idiot. He should be the one sleeping, not her! She was just a child...she had her whole life ahead of her! Him...he had nothing. He was just a dead man walking in two different pairs of shoes...Shutting his eyes tightly, he cradled the pain that suddenly crashed down on his heart. It was curling him into a tighter ball then he'd already formed, his mind crushing itself from the undeniable pain and pressure. His fingers still touching the girls face, felt colder then before. His eyes snapped wide and his breathing became quick as he hurriedly studied the girl's breathing. It hadn't stopped, it hadn't changed. Her expression, her skin tone, her scars, her position...none of them had changed. It didn't take long for him to notice that'd he was the one who'd gotten colder.

Shivering, he reached for his jacket that was laying on the bed right beside him. Slipping it on, he never took his eyes off the girl. He was waiting for a sign...something..._anything_ to indicate that she would wake up soon. Shaking his head, he watched as the shadows of trees and falling leaves danced upon the girls face and blanket, moonlight gleaming upon her already white face, fainting a blue into her skin. Her hand that layed ontop of the sheets, he shakily grabbed onto, squeezing as if to pour his own conciousness into her. He quickly feigned the pressure on her hand, reducing it to just having his lay ontop of hers.

Every time a breath left her lips, she felt colder. Every time he noticed, he felt colder. The room itself seemed to be covered in a chilly sheet of stillborn air, while it's sibling outside continued to drum itself upon the window, begging to be let in.

"Hate the cold..." the man muttered, hoping the damned thing would up and turn to warmth already. If it got any colder, he was scared the girl's skin would slowly crystallize into a slick frame of ice. He knew it was complete nonsense..but, she was vulnerable...she was hurt...she...

Bringing a hand to slap his face, the man could only bite his lip,"_I'm sorry, kid...I....damnit..._" his eyes were stinging, they were on the verge of raining. He couldn't cry! He..he had to stay and believe she would wake up and snap out of it! _He_ had to snap out of it! She was a strong kid, he knew that from...personal experience. She _would_ make it through this...and it wouldn't be much longer until she opened her eyes, blinked around dazily before glaring at him and punching him as he deserved. She..she couldn't give up...she _wouldn't_ give up. Not her, not now.

..Besides, he was a man...A _grown_ man. Grown men don't cry.

The man was close to laughing, but his mouth remained frozen in a scowl,"_Heh..he would tell me off good if he saw me like this..._" the thoughts of the younger man could only bring him deeper into the crushing weight of his heart. The pain wasn't ending any time soon, but that one...maybe he would end it when they saw each other once again. Since you couldn't read him like an open book, the older man could only wonder what he would do...

The young boy too...the way he'd reacted to the old man's actions...it just teared said man inside...it just...poked his stupid heart in many hurtful ways he didn't think he knew of. Yet, that kid was strong too...they all were...All stronger than him at least. He was a false man who shouldn't even be breathing. The kid screaming his name echoed inside his mind...Damnit. Why did he cause the younger ones pain?! He...he didn't want to. He didn't mean to. He never would harm them if he didn't have to...

The oldest girl. Most of her past was a mystery, other than the fact that she'd been at the Great War ten years ago...She would have just been a child. He was there...He might have injured her somehow...some way...But now, she seemed to be distancing herself from that memory...Or maybe she wasn't. Perhaps she dreamed about the horrid thing as he did...Perhaps they had more in common then they would ever speak aloud.

His scowl continuosly grew deeper. The naive girl...she'd been through so much already...yet he just brought her more misfortune. She'd only just started learning about the world outside of four walls, but then she just gets plunged into waters up to her neck, sprinkled with misery and false hope. He was just a pawn for that man, and he'd made that girl the newest addition by bringing her to that demented bastard. The man sighed, he could only hope that the others were giving their best efforts to find her. And soon...perhaps he would help, along with the sleeping girl beside him.

His breath quickly caught in his throat. The girl's hand...moved from underneath his. Turning his head, the girl remained sleeping...but, she didn't feel as cold...and she seemed more at peace...the whole mood just changed. The knocking wind on the glass had stopped...The frigid air dimly floating in the room had warmed up. The man smiled lightly. She was fighting, and he knew damn well she would make it.._now_. His inner mind kicked himself for ever doubting (even if it was just for a split second) she wouldn't.

His mind raced back to where it all started...His prison cell in Zaphias where he helped the younger man escape his own cell after being led away by...his _master_. He could only wonder what would have happened...if he hadn't helped. He knew that the young man would have escaped on his own, he seemed to be the type to get put in prison quite a lot. And the naive one...he wondered what would have happened to her. He saw when the young man and girl encountered each other, as he just kept following his king like the pawn that he was. They hadn't noticed him, as she was too busy trying to kill the young man with a vase, even though he'd just saved her life. He saw no more as walls blocked his view, but heard the vase smash and the man's shocked response as he most definitely dodged the blow.

When he'd met him again (followed by the naive girl, the younger girl and the young boy...as well as a dog), it was in that port city, being ruled by a sick son of a bitch. Immediately he seemed to set off a spark of suspicion in the young girl, with wonder and amusement from the others. He soon got away from the group, smiling like a child in a candy store while he heard their yells of anger...well, mainly from just the young girl. He wandered around the dank and dark mansion, looking for his item that he needed. He had no luck, and was soon face-to-face with the same group in the other port town. At first, it was just him and the young man, then he fled before the young girl could tear his head off from the previous port "incident". She gave a good chase, but he managed to weave himself out of a brutal fist slammed into his face.

He'd been watching them many times before and after, but they hadn't noticed. He was as close to them like he was their shadows, his only priority the girl who'd been trapped inside walls all her life. By this, he distinguished their personalities quite quickly. One was a cold, yet soft hearted criminal, the other was a naive girl who knew lots of things from reading books all her life, the youngest was a cowardly kid with a big heart, the second youngest was an orphan who was a brainiac and loved causing harm to things when necessary, and the second oldest (who'd joined the group a bit after he'd joined himself) was one who was all smiles and loved to kick some ass, along with hiding her past and secrets...and then there was the oddly coloured dog with an attitude that picked who he liked.

The man blinked, momentarily blanking out.

The shadows swayed along the girl curled back and forth as if writing a story. The leaves...they'd become falling angels, singing their last breath as their wings diminished into a cradle of fire. The tree stared down on them sadly, rocking as if waving his farewells to the cracked halo's. He was crying, the tree...he was losing his sons and daughters to the winds of torment and trial. There was nothing he could do for his children, his soul and body carved perfectly into the ground. He could not move. The careening angels smiled and kept drifting farther away from their guardian. They could only hoped that their message of forgiveness drifted into his heart...

Taking his hand off of hers, the man leaned forward once more and let his fingers whisper an encore against her scar, to see what happened. She reacted, in a greater way he would have expected. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and gazed vacantly around the dark blue room. Their eyes soon locked in a dazed glance, his relief-filled turqoise eyes never leaving her hazy emerald ones. Whimpering quietly, the girl slowly hoisted herself into a sitting position, continuing to focus intently on the man.

"Who....who are you?"

At those three (or four) words, the man's face completely fell into a disbelieving expression. She couldn't have...it wasn't...there was no way!

Chuckling, the man brought up a short smirk,"Hey, come on now, Rita! Quit playing jokes with this old man!" the girl only tilted her head to the side, eyes now flickering with curiosity.

"Rita?..Is that...me?" the man froze. There was no way the girl could fake such...innocence as that. He sighed, before plastering a gentle smile on his lips. All he could do was nod, his voice failed him. He was suprised he was even able to move his head, seeing as his mind was empty and running a million miles to catch up with his rampaging thoughts. He couldn't even begin to register what his brain was doing when these words slipped past the girl's lips,"Are you my daddy?"

After tearing his head apart looking for an answer of any kind, his smile spread farther and his eyes glistened fondly,"...If you want me to be." the girl smiled a full-toothed grin and laughed, before getting up from under the blankets and giving her 'father' a hug. The man was taken by absolute shock. This girl was...completely different from the one he knew...So pure...so...so....Shaking his head, he returned the hug, gripping the girl close to him. One hand cradled her back while the other brushed through her hair. He...he was practically turning into an earthquake. Leaning his forehead against her shoulder, the man just started to cry. His tears burned against his cheeks, ridiculing him, smiting him. They brought the same pain his heart did.

"W..why are you crying? Did..did I make you sad?" her voice, it tortured him. It sounded so soft and angelic...and...and...He couldn't bear it! This..this girl was so..._jejune_...and it was all his fault! She...she might never remember who she once was...And the others...they may never forgive him...

"No..I-I'm just glad....so damned glad that you're okay..." he was glad, but at the same time, perplexed beyond reason and his heart wouldn't stop throbbing against his chest like a lion clawing at it's cage. To be honest...he wished he didn't have that damned thing...then so many misfortunes wouldn't have happened to his...to his friends..."_Damnit..._"

"My head hurts..." the girl whispered, her grip on the man loosening slightly. Malaise racked his brain as he bit his lip...He caused her that pain, caused her that mind filled with obsolete memories. Taking a deep breath, the man calmed his breathing, calmed himself from shaking. He was probably scaring the girl...Lifing his head off the girl's shoulder, he brought the hug to a standstill as he gently picked her up and put her back under the covers of the bed. The girl tried getting back up in response, only to be lightly pushed down again,"But I'm not tired!" she whined, only making the man smile a sad smile, his eyes still wet from his tears, which were glistening along with his lips.

"I know you aren't, but...I'll go get you a glass of water then tell you some stories. How does that sound? Maybe your headache will go away." the girl grinned, clapping her hands together and laughing. For her head hurting, she sure didn't act like it was. Getting up from the bed, he turned to look out the window before heading out the door to get the girl her drink.

One last leaf gave it's farewell as it drifted away in the wind...

---

Sneakers: LOLHAI.  
First story, whoop. XD

Sorry if it's a bit weird, I first started writing it at midnight and I was really tired. I added onto it the next day...at midnight again and edited it too, then I was too lazy to fix anything else up if I _wasn't_ tired. XD

AND THIS WAS INSPIRED BY ONE OF MY DREAMS. Like everything else I bet you I will one day get to writing. XD


	2. Night Requiem

**T**attered Slipp**e**rs

_N__**i**__ght Re__**qu**__iem_

---

The girl now slept peacefully, a small smile sketched onto her face which gleamed a radiant aura...yet the man was still worried. He could not sleep. He'd continued to sit at the edge of the bed and just watch the girl sleep. He was wondering...he was thinking...he needed to know what he was going to do tomorrow...The others would surely be at that damned Heracles contraption, and he'd planned on showing up to help them..to atone for his mistakes. But yet..now..he couldn't take the girl with him..It was too dangerous! She wouldn't be able to fight! She...she forgot everything about her spells..her research...her friends...He was surprised she could talk and walk perfectly fine.

His head was pounding.

His heart was drumming.

Yet he did not notice.

He only noticed the girl, the innocent girl...The girl who said,"Night, Daddy.." before her eyes fluttered close and she was out like a light. The man bit his tongue. It was his punishment...for now. The others would surely give him hell...but she...she wouldn't punch him anymore, wouldn't stomp on his feet with those heels of hers. Now she would...probably just smile at him and laugh. Dropping his head into his hands, the man sighed, wishing this was all a dream. He didn't know what to think anymore, everything just toppled onto him like a bomb, the fuse lit, but never reaching the goal to explode.

But...he should be happy that the girl made it out alive...He wasn't even sure he was going to be alive either, but...He hadn't planned on leaving breathing. Yet...here he was, playing the role of a father for a girl who had no recollection of anything. He could still remember her yelp as she tripped over a rock. He could still remember her looking up in fear as bits and pieces of ceiling aimed for her head. He could still hear the _snap_ that echoed as she soon lay unconcious, bleeding...dying. He didn't know how he managed to get over there. but the giant stone he'd been holding had seemingly vanished as he ran to the girl's side, leaning over her, hugging her, taking the rest of the damage as the remainders of the ceiling crashed down upon them.

Then everything went black.

And he feared the worst for the girl.

He feared of her death.

And technically...she _was_ dead.

And technically...he was as well.

The man grimaced. He was cold again. Gripping his coat tighter to his body, the man gritted his teeth. He finally registered his head and heart. He registered their pain. He registered the hate he felt for such pain. Yet, the hurt he registered the most came from his heart...No matter what he did...whether it was a wonderful deed or a bad moment, it seemed to pulse with bigger claws, piercing away at his inner being. He didn't know how much longer he'd remain sane...He was going to go senile.

The wind started to, again, beat against the glass that peered into the room, and the man turned towards it disdainly. The tree outside loomed tiredly, scraping against the window. It was telling the man, telling Raven, that he felt the same pain. The man blinked and let a small smile stain his lips. He was _already_ senile, he was comparing himself to a tree for Heaven's sake! The girl stirred, mumbling incoheretly. The man was quick to have his attention back at the child, in fear that she may be having a nightmare... But she was smiling.

Heh... He was getting soft in his old age.

A light knock on the door brought the man to look up, and shuffle off the bed. Padding his bare feet across the floor, he opened the door and stared blankly at the shorter man on the other side.

"Sir Schwann!" the visitor quickly saluted, caring not to take notice in his commander's outfit, consisting of his orange suit meant for his Schwann personality (discluding the armor on his arms, shoulder and legs) with his purple coat hung over his shoulders, meant for his Raven personality. Two men...one body. Shaking his inner mind, the stouter man continued to talk,"We are prepared to leave for the Heracles! Is the girl fit for the trip?"

Sighing, the older man walked outside the room and clicked the door shut. He wasn't going to bother correcting the other about what he would be called as, and instead went straight to the point,"Kid has amnesia. Forgot her name, forgot me, forgot to fight, forgot her friends, her life, everythin'..'cept for the basics of walking and words. We can't take her with us."

"...T-then shall I establish a man to take care of her while we infiltrate? Or would you prefer--"

"Former...I'll explain the situation to her, she seems to be...easygoing now. She'll understand."

"Understood, I'll go make the necessary preparations." saluting once more, the other scurried off. Opening the door back to the room, the man was greeted with a small thud and an "oomph!". Peering down at the floor, the man smiled at the girl who looked up hesitantly, smiling back.

"Hi," she greeted, twiddling her fingers.

"Hi," he returned, walking over and sitting infront of the girl. "Were ya bein' a spy?"

She giggled,"Maybe~"

Putting his hand on her shoulder, the younger one tilted her head to the side, eyes shining with wonder. The man winced. He guessed the girl could still hurt him... Those eyes were like a punch to the face. Sighing, the man slowly embraced the girl in a hug, fighting back stinging tears. He could _feel_ the girl's curiosity vibrating onto him and she returned the hug. She didn't know...she...

"Rita, hun," he could feel the girl's head perk up at the sound of her name,"Do ya...do ya remember anythin'? Anythin' at all? Growin' up, your friends, anythin'?"

Silence. It haunted the room for what felt like eternity, but was really only a matter of minutes. It was eerie. It was cold. It was tearing him inside and out.

"...No." was the meek reply, before the man realized his shoulder was damp. Lightly pushing the girl back so she faced him, Raven was distraught to see her crying. Stroking her hair, the man cooed for her to calm down.

"Y-y-you're a-angry at me...a-aren't you..?" the girl sniffed, hiccuping. Raven cradled the girl, rubbing her back while gently rocking her to and fro. He kept whispering that he wasn't angry, that he wasn't upset, but she kept on crying. Perhaps... Perhaps he should have waited awhile before asking that question. Rita.... She was obviously lost... Confused.... Hungry for the fifteen year memories she had no recollection of... No happy times she could fall back on... No mistakes she could remember to try and not do again... No jumping for joy when an experiment went right... No coughing when an experiment blew up in her face... He was all she had at the moment...and he was going to be gone in a couple of hours.

She'd be alone.

But maybe...she felt alone even now.

He wouldn't ask her anything anymore that concerned the past. It was...gone. He'd have to live with... No, not him, _she_ would. _He_ would be watching over her, like a guardian angel... No... He'd be watching over her like a...a _father_. Even now he could tell he'd already changed. He wasn't returning to the others as the man they knew before. Of course, he'd still be silly, goofy Raven, but until he knew that Rita was adapting to life again, until he knew that Estelle was safe, until he figured out how the others would react to the youngest girl's memory loss, he wouldn't be as carefree. He wasn't going to screw up anymore. He couldn't...

"Y..you're l-l-l-leaving, a-aren't you? Y-you m..must be angry if...if you're le..aving.." the girl whimpered, tears still freefalling down her face. If her headache from earlier did indeed go away, it sure was back for more haunting. The man gripped tighter onto the girl, hand lightly brushing her hair once more. He wasn't sure if this was how you comforted a child...but it was how he comforted Casey..."_Damnit, Casey..._" This girl...she had Casey's eyes, her hair, her face... They were in no means related, so when Raven had first seen the younger one, he almost froze on the spot. It was just ubelievable how two people, plenty of years apart, could look so similar and in no means share any drop of blood. There were many times where he'd almost slipped up and called the girl as Casey...but he'd managed to save himself at the _very_ last second.

Thinking on this now... Raven wasn't sure he would be able to handle this. The girl was torturing him in ways that she would never know. His...friends would probably continue to pick on him, but be even more cruel. But, if Alexei shut down his heart... The man shuddered, biting back his lip and blinking away his tears that threatened to carress his face. He'd already cried tonight, he didn't need his sins sliding down his cheeks again.

"Rita, shh, I'm not angry with you, kiddo. Daddy just has work to do, and his job is dangerous. I wouldn't want ya to get hurt! It'd prolly be the most painful thing I'd see out there," the girl nodded into his shoulder, still trembling. Raven could only continue stringing his fingers through her hair... He didn't know what else he could do. It seemed to work though, when Rita's shaking was reduced to light breathing, and her tears were reduced to exiled conciousness. She lightly pushed herself away and stared at the man's face. It was clear he was fatigued, dark bags sleeping under his dull sky-lit eyes. She could see her reflection in his gaze. Was she the sun in his sky, or was she the gray cloud?

Hoisting himself and the girl off the ground, Raven picked the teenager up and carried her over to the bed. Despite it taking only two steps, the girl was already dormant into an empty world of dreams and nothingness. Sliding her under the covers, the man questioned if he should catch some sleep himself... But there should have been no questions asked, for his body seemed to shut down at the mere thought and he slowly sat down on the carpeted flooring, before falling on his back and shutting the outside world off like a light. His body was warm, but he knew his heart was cold.

And when the tree outside greeted the morning, his heart would be engulfed in ice.

---

Sneakers: HAAI

Sorry for the wait, you guys, but first, I was grounded, and then, I got writer's block... Well, I had it the whole time I was grounded and it wouldn't go away. XD

Infact, I still had it while writing this chapter, so it's not that great. And, again, I seem to have a tendency at writing stuff at midnight...or close to midnight...or when I'm really tired, so there may be some odd things here and there.

Also, I tend to get a little...less descriptive when people end up talking. And the descriptiveness keeps toning down as the story goes along, but I hope it won't happen to me here, because I really want this to turn out well.

And there I go, rambling again. XD;

But thanks for the reviews guys, they mean a lot! I hope you keep on reading. c:

Oh, and Anonymous LeAnn reviewer: RavenxRita is what it is because there are many hints pointing to it in the game, haters just don't tend to notice them. Also, there are such things as crack pairings (TisonxRepede...not that I've seen one, but it COULD happen.) and other stuff. And hey, I've read a Ravenx_Karol_ fanfiction, and he's even younger...so...Yeah. Not sure where I was going with that, but now I will go...to bed.

AWAAAY~


	3. Mirrors

T**a**tter**e**d Sli**p**pers

_Mir__**r**__ors_

---

Was it all a dream? Had his mind registered an awful scene to torture him before his death? If his next thoughts were selfish, he wouldn't care... He wished it _was_ all a dream. He wished he _were_ going to die. He wished...the girl a happy life _without_ amnesia.

He wished, but he never saw a white light, just red.

He wished, but he could hear the choir of birds.

He wished...but he knew he was alive.

Groaning, the man picked himself off the floor and glanced around dazily. The girl was curled up in a ball under the sheets, fast asleep, and Raven couldn't help but smile. She looked like a little kitten. Knocking on the glass, the tree beckoned the man to look over. Raven was shocked at his own actions to..._respond_ to the tree, and he was absolutely certain that he _was_ senile! A tree! The same tree, too! Yet...it was still dark out. How had he seen red without the sun gleaming in his eyes? He stopped thinking, stopped questioning, and listened intently. There were no birds, none at all. All he heard was the light breathing of the girl.

No sun. No birds.

Then what had...?

Bringing his hands to his face, it didn't take long for Raven to realize that he hadn't heard birds, that the sun hadn't been the cause of the red. He'd...He heard her screaming. He...had been staring at her blood. Her screams had been echoing along the walls. Her blood had graced plenty of the flooring as it leaked from her head. Feeling bile rise in his throat, the man placed his hand over his mouth and scurried to the bathroom. Leaning against the sink, he took deep breaths, calming himself down. Swalloing the anxiety, fear, and guilt that never eft his system, the man turned on the tap, splashing his face with the bitter truth. He _had_ to wake up! He _wasn't_ dreaming! He _wasn't_ hallucinating! This _was _reality! _He_ was the one who made it this way! _He_ was the one who had to deal with that fact! And _HE_ had to take responsibility and atone for his sins...!

...There...was nothing else that he _could_ do...

Staring down at the rushing water, dancing back into the black abyss that lead it back home, Raven steadied himself. He felt lightheaded... Was he really going to be able to go to Heracles? Glancing up, the man glared at his reflection that taunted him. He hadn't yet fastened his hair back in its messy ponytial, instead just brushing it behind his ears. Of course, hair doesn't stay put, and now it gracefully fell over his left eye. The man in the mirror returned the given glare, and Raven couldn't help but start shaking with fury.

It was idiotic, getting worked up over his reflection! But...the man staring back at him didn't belong here anymore. He died ten years ago...and he died along with...with Rita Mordio. Raising his fist, Raven's knuckles made a harsh impact, and shattered the glass. Bits and pieces fell on the floor, reflecting his pain as the man clutched his bleeding hand. Seething, Raven could only pay attention to the crimson liquid cascading down his arm, raining on the floor. Backing up against the wall, the man found it difficult to catch his breath. He hadn't realized what he was doing when he smashed the mirror, and his whole arm now surged in a calamity of broken flames.

"Daddy?" the man turned, eyes softening at the girl who hestitantly stood at the doorway. He could see her emerald orbs glisten with, soon-to-be, running tears. "D-Daddy...you...you're bleeding! Daddy, why?! Is...Is it my fault?!"

Raven winced, both from the pain and the fact that Rita was quick to blame herself for seemingly everything so far. It _wasn't_ her fault! It _never_ was! It never would be! He...He had to do something to make her understand that...!

Sliding down the wall, the man still shakily balanced on his legs. He antagonizingly bit his lip, the lithe form of the young girl was getting fuzzy... Shuddering, he was barely able to keep his words steady,"No... No, Rita, hun, it wasn't your fault... I just...had a little accident... Rita...please...get your old man... some help..." continuing the rest of the way down the wall, the man barely registered the girl fleeing, before his vision was engulfed in a concrete night. Perhaps...he wasn't cut out to be a father... He'd already caused the kid so much confusion and worry in less than a couple of hours!

"_I'm...so sorry..."_

Flying through the halls, Rita searched around frantically for somebody, _anybody_! She knew it was late, but there had to be at least _one_ person up! Tripping over her feet, the girl landed on the floor. Pain cradled her knees, and she started to sob. It wasn't her burning knees that caused her to cry, it was the adrenaline and worry for her dad. She didn't know where she was, or who she was, or anything! She was lost, and she was making her daddy lost too! She had to stay strong and help him! She couldn't remember, but he probably helped her a lot of times too!

"Are you all right, young lady?" a voice asked while two hands lightly picked up the girl from her under-arms. Rubbing her eyes, Rita glanced at the man who helped her up. He was a bit short, she was almost as tall, and...his voice sounded..familiar? He seemed a bit shocked to see her, and she shakily started to talk.

"D-Daddy! You have to..to help Daddy! He's bleeding and he fainted and and he told me to get him help and now I am and I'm scared!" the man looked absolutely horrified, before quickly asking for the girl to lead him to her..._daddy_. Thankfully, Rita hadn't ran very far from the room, and they were both at Raven's side in a couple of minutes. The other man, who introduced himself as Raven's friends, LeBlanc, immediately grabbed a nearby first-aid kit, and started wrapping the bandages around the other man's wounds. He instructed Rita to stand out of the way, and the girl obliged. She continued to silently sob at the doorway, feeling completely and utterly useless...

She continued to stand and watch, calming herself down and trying to be prepared if LeBlanc asked her to get more help. But, she was shaking. She was confused. Would she really be able to leave her dad's side again? What if she got lost and couldn't find her way back and he ended up dying and it was all her fault?! Surely, Raven would haunt her in disgust and spite for the fact that it was her fault he was dead. He would glare at her in her dreams, and she would apologize again and again, but the man wouldn't accept her apologies. He'd just shake his head in dismay, and ask how he was ever related to.. No! _NO_! He would _never_, _ever, EVER_ do something like that! He...he wouldn't! He loved her... Right..?

Moving her mind away from those thoughts, Rita watched with wonder when a yellow circle with intricate designs appeared underneath both of the men. She tilted her head to the side as LeBlanc raised his hand to Raven's injured arm, and the yellow circle seemed to surge through his body and aimed at the wounds. When the yellow magically flew from LeBlanc's fingertips and danced around Raven's arm, stringing itself over the wound and disappearing, the girl was certain her head was going to fall off! With a small smile, the concious man turned to the child and started picking up the loose glass. When he disposed of it, and made absolutely certain that there wasn't any left for the girl to step on, he beckoned her over. Without hesitation, she was right by her father's side, lightly shaking his good arm.

"...Daddy...?" she whispered, taking notice that he seemed to be gaining colour. When had he lost it? Moving closer to the older man, she hugged his arm, closing her eyes. Sighing, her lip quivered,"Mr. Leblanc?" she didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to see the other man staring down at her. She didn't want to feel small and insignificant...

"Yes, what is it?"

"Why did Daddy hurt himself?"

"I... I'm sure it was an accident."

Rita nodded, continuing to keep her eyes closed. She knew her dad would never hurt himself on purpose...but, she had watched him though, when he rushed to the bathroom. He _did_ seem angry at himself when he looked at the mirror. But why? Did he think he was ugly? Was there a mean message on it? She really wanted to know...but she didn't want to make her daddy even more upset! When something started to pat the top of her head, Rita slowly looked up and opened her eyes.

She was greeted to a finger tapping her nose.

She stuck her tongue out as Raven smiled, and the girl was quick to give him a hug, resting her head on his chest. She listened and heard light thumps. He was alive, and his smile was too natural to be forced or fake. He wasn't dead, he wasn't angry. He was just clumsy? Or maybe tired... But, she wasn't going to ask.

Returning the hug, Raven started to stroke the girl's hair again, trying to get the feeling back in his arm,"I'm sorry, Rita... I'm so sorry."

He disdainly looked up at the mirror, a piece still hanging in the frame. It showed a dead man hugging a dead girl. He glared and looked away.

---

Sneakers: YEAH...WHOO. Third...Second? XD chapter up sorta fastishish...ish.

Sorry that it's even shorter than the other two, I wrote it at school, and I don't seem to take into account that my writing is a little on the big side, so yeah... I added some more stuff while putting it on the comp and uh..yeah. Also, after I was done writing it, I went back to see if I could think of anything else I could add...and I couldn't so uh...Yeah.

Thanks Purple Pirate Lex and Mitthrawn for your reviews! They make me a happy girly~ XD

I may start responding to your reviews too, if I find the time. XD;

Oh, and also also, I'd like to know if you guys would want me to skip Heracles or not. I've been thinking of briefly mentioning what happened in it, and then I've been thinking of giving it a chapter or two of its own. But it's up to you guys since I'm so indecisive! XD;;


	4. Decode

Tattered S**li**ppers

_D__**e**__code_

---

"Daddy, are you sure you shouldn't rest?" Rita questioned in worry, circling the man as they wandered down the hall. Raven smiled at the girl, continuing to scoop his wet hair into a careless ponytail while she kept on tugging his silk, purple jacket. Nobody's movements falteres as they continued down the slick flooring.

Now in his more loose attire, Raven felt a tiny bit refreshed... Of course, that could just be the after effects of his nice, cold shower waking him up, but either way...he was in a _semi_-decent mood. He was still majorly concered about Rita, of course, but he knew LeBlanc would find a suitable caretaker to watch over her, to train her to use a sword and shield so she could defend herself...so he wouldn't worry...as much... Ugh, he had to calm himself! She was going to be just fine! LeBlanc wouldn't allow the girl to get harmed!

Creeping outside into the night that still chilled over the sky, Raven could feel the distant glares of the few wandering citizens. He knew that he wasn't the target of the stares, but instead, it was Leblanc. The men didn't expect any less, since they _were_ in Dahngrest, after all. They would have been in one of the port towns, if they had not received notice that some of Alexei's troops were there. They ended up harbouring their boats on the small strips of land close to the Guild city.

They would have to be quick, getting to the ships and leaving to Heracles. They would have to manage as efficiently as possible, as it was almost daybreak and Raven knew that Yuri would soon be getting the others ready to depart. The younger man wasn't as difficult to figure out as most thought he was. The young man had probably ended up heading for Nordopolica after everything that happened in Baction, getting themselves stocked up and well rested for the big fight. Yuri himself most likely stayed up a remainder of the night, glaring out into the ocean, thinking of the best way to clobber Alexei. Thinking of Estelle and what pain she must be going through. Thinking of the old man's betrayal...and the disappearance of the youngest girl...

"Daddy?" the man turned to the teenager, who had stopped walking and now stared intently at a nearby store, whose light's were on,"Can I get some new clothes? I don't like these ones! They're ugly and hot and itchy!"

Raven faltered, trying not to choke on guilt. Those clothes... They were different than anything else that'd he'd seen, with all the accessories and the mismatched socks and shoes. It held the complexity of Rita's personality, the many theories contained in her genius ways and her more childish side... Agh!! What was he thinking?! They...were just clothes...! Just clothes...!! Just pieces of fabric. Nothing more... And...they still had _some_ time to get to Heracles before Yuri was probably going to set out, but... "All right. One rule though, first thing you see and like, yer gettin'... When we find it in your size."

Squealing, Rita hugged the man, and quickly started dragging him towards the store. Looking back, Raven nodded at the other man, who returned the motion and ran off to the rest of the Schwann Brigade, awaiting orders outside the city. Continuing to allow Rita to lead him through the door of the store, he was satisfied when one thing caught her attention almost immediately. It was a light orange dress with black sleeves and yellow strips near the ends of the long sleeves, with a yellow sash that had the pattern of a "bee trail" strung itself on the waistline of the dress. A bumblebee headband seemed to be apart of the outfit as well. Small black boots also joined in with it. Taking off the goggles that embraced her head, Rita handed them to Raven and scurried off, grabbing her new outfit and running to a random stall. She was so excited she hadn't even checked the size!

Staring down at the object in his hand, the man flinched. He had taken the goggles off the girl's head when they had ventured to Dahngrest, and she had put them on only a couple of minutes ago, when he had been taking his shower. When he saw her with them on, he felt his heart drop to the floor... Yet a smile couldn't help but grace his face when she determidely claimed that wearing them would help her bring back her memories.... They were cracked...and stained in blood. Her memories probably seeped through the cracks, never to be seen again...

Clutching the goggles, the man blinked and looked around lazily. The clerk was asleep, snoring heavily, and Raven decided that he wasn't even going to bother trying to wake him up, he'd just leave the money beside the lazy ass. Raven's attention flicked over to the stalls when the girl hollered, asking for the man to bring her a smaller size, since the one she had went to her feet. Placing the goggles in his pocket, he glanced at the rack where she picked the dress, and he chuckled at the fact that the girl hadd grabbed an extra, extra large...for women. Picking out a medium and small for girls her age, he brought them over to the stalls, and cradled them over the top of the door. It didn't take long for them to disappear. Waiting outside, it only took a matter of minutes for Rita to get changed into a fitting size... Which was the small... The man inwardly shuddered, and hoped that the girl would eat some more this time around...

Clicking her new boots on the ground, with her old clothes wrapped around her arm, old mismatched shoes lightly pressed against her chest, Rita spun around, laughing happily. The bumblebee atop the headband smiled joyfully with the girl as well. Smiling sadly, Raven slowly followed the younger one when she skipped towards the counter, poking the sleeping employee, who didn't stir. Shaking her shoulder, Raven carefully took off the price tag, put it on the counter and placed the money in the employee's hand. Wrapping her arms around the man's waist (deciding to just leave her old shoes at the store, she placed them on the counter as well), Rita giggled, thanking the older man very much. He could only smile again and ruffle her hair, the antennae of the bee tickling his wrist.

Walking back out into the streets, Raven found it difficult to walk with a girl attatched to his waist, but he bared with it. Stuffing his free hand into his pocket, the man gripped tightly onto the broken object, staring sadly at the girl. She was going to be fine... She was strong, even now. He...could tell... He knew that she was going to be successful...Yet didn't...didn't all parents feel this way about their children?

He wouldn't know... He never met his parents.

Were Rita's parents that gave her life still alive, or was she a complete orphan? And what about Karol? He mentioned something about "if his dad were here" in Baction... Speaking of which, did _anybody_ have parents anymore? Shaking his head, Raven cancelled all the questions. There were definite answers if he asked, but no matter what the answer, you wouldn't be able to change the bad ones for good. You would, however be able to change the good ones for bad, but...he wouldn't go there. Besides, there were already enough questions he had to decode, he didn't need these... Well, he wouldn't say meaningless, but they weren't his top priority at the moment.

Arriving at the front of the city, the duo was greeted to around fifty saluting soldiers. Of course, this wasn't their full force. They wouldn't be sending their complete fleet this mission, as Flynn was going to be sending out most of his. The young captain was only given brief details on the infiltration of the Schwann brigade, and both group of knights were ready to kick some ass. Giving a nod to his crew, Raven smiled proudly when they quickly retorted to a straight stance, awaiting orders. Rita slowly started to let go of the man's torso, clutching her old clothes to her chest. She stared across the orange and red wave of soldiers, eyes shining in awe.

Her dad...was the boss of all these people?!

LeBlanc stepped forward, two other knights at his sides. One was a tall, skinny man with a thin moustache and...giant lips, while the other was a short, more pudgy man. He almost looked like a child.

"Rita, meet my three most trusted members. Well...you've already met LeBlanc, so mind introducin' yourself, men?" Raven grinned, placing his hand on the young girl's shoulder, who awaited curiously for the names of the other two. In reality, she wanted to know the name of everyone waiting so patiently for their orders!...But it seemed like they had to go somewhere important, and she didn't want to make them miss whatever they were going to.

"I say, my name is Adecor! It is a pleasure to meet your aquaitance, young Rita!" the tall one saluted, and Rita snickered. He talked funny~

"And I am Boccos! It is an honour to meet you!" the shorter one saluted as well, and Rita giggled again. His voice was funny~

Raising his hand above his head, LeBlanc motioned someone over. A person in the first wave of knights responded and came forward, standing inbetween him and Adecor. It was a woman, a little taller than LeBlanc and a little shorter than Raven. She had vibrant blue eyes and messy brown hair, and Rita couldn't help but be reminded of her dad. Was this his sister? Bowing, the woman introduced herself.

"My name is Ember, and I will be training you, as well as caring for you while your...father is away. We'll have fun, I'm sure, Miss Rita." the woman straightened herself and raised her hand out infront of the girl. Rita looked up at Raven, who nodded. Keeping her clothes clutched to her chest with one arm, Rita hesitantly accepted the handshake, but smiled when the older woman did so, before bringing their arms back to their sides.

Quickly standing up straight, everyone turned their attention to Raven, the sun slowly starting to rise behind him,"Troops, get ready, be prepared and stand strong. We will be infiltrating the Heracles and taking down the Commandant for his unjust deeds! Ta this day, we aren't just going to dine... We're dinin' in Hell now, men! We can't afford mistakes! Now, onward!" saluting, the squad quickly turned and headed for the ships. They needed to be fast. They couldn't screw up. They only had one shot at this, and they weren't going to mess it up. Raven knew...that his troops would do him proud.

"Why can't I come?" Rita whispered, pouting, and Raven closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. His heart was throbbing again... He didn't want to leave her, but he had no choice! He would prefer her safe than getting lost, confused and becoming emotionally scarre when realizing that she was going to have to kill _human beings_ if she wanted to survive in that place. It was kill or be killed...and Raven didn't want the girl to have to do either at the moment...

Glancing down at the younger one, who had held onto his hand, Raven felt like he just got punched in the gut. By a cannonball. _On fire_. How he even knew what that felt like, he wasn't even sure of. All he knew was that it hurt...damn well lots. He hadn't realized when he had, but he had clutched the goggled in his hand again...the hand that Rita was holding... They were both seizing onto her lost memories... Her lost sights and opinions on the world. He could feel bile rise up in his throat again, but he forced it down. He had to stay strong for her. He had to atone for his sins. He had to find her answers. He had to take this responsibility, whether it landed in his lap, or he died trying to finish it.

"I told ya, hun," he finally replied, almost falling over his words. They _were_ the truth, but it still seemed so...odd, having to tell _her_ of all people,"it's a dangerous thing that Daddy does. I don't want you to get hurt."

Rita gripped harder on Raven's hand,"But I can fight! I... I can... I can kick people!" the man stopped walking, almost causing the girl to trip, and burst out laughing. Her face..had been so serious, but her voice had sounded so...silly! Oh, man, that was just too damned adorable! He couldn't believe it! Straightening himself out of his little laughing fit, the man turned earnest again.

"I'm sorry, kiddo, but kickin' ain't enough. Ya need to know how ta defend, how ta chain your attacks and be aware of your surroundin's. Hell, that's just scratchin' the surface, too. Besides, if the enemy was wearin' armor, you'd break your toes with those little boots on!"

The girl huffed and said no more. Raven took another deep breath, feeling the goggles slightly shift in the duo's embraced hands.

"_Ya ain't comin' back, are ya, Rita, darlin'?_"

---

Sneakers: Don't ask me how I somehow got a Sparta joke in here, I have no idea how. o_o

And yes, I know that speech Raven made was really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really...you get the point, crappy.

I'm also not really satisfied with this chapter. I wrote it a couple of weeks ago in school, but forgot I did even thought it's _right there_ since I have it in my planner... And my planner like holds everything now. But anyway, like last chapter, I added onto and edited some stuff while typing it on the computer so. I've started writing the next chapter (some of my friend's thought it was smutt, so I think will need to _heavily_ edit it. XD..But then again, they did have no idea what was going on and weren't even reading it from the start of the chapter.)

And I'll also add Heracles to the story. 8D YAY.

And Purple Pirate Lex, how DARE you mention Hannah Montana in my prescence?! 8C  
Nah, lol, I kid. But, I'm basing Rita off how she was in my dreams, and she seemed to act like a 5 year old, soooo. XD

But thanks again for your review, and you too, Icy Cake! You make me happy~

Oh, and I did this forever ago, but I traced over the official pose of Rita and put her in the outfit she's wearing now.

( http: // img. photobucket. com/ albums/v298/Bleep_Meep/ ritaposeredAMNESIADONE. png )  
Just..ya know, remove the random spaces. XD

...So it's two in the morning now.  
...So I'm off to bed.  
BYE.


	5. In the Sun

Tatte**red** Slippe**r**s

_I__**n**__ th__**e**__ Sun_

---

Raven shivered, staring out to the land where the young girl stood, waving. It didn't seem like her arm would stop moving back and forth until they were out of sight. The man smiled distantly when Ember held onto the girl's shoulder and slowly led her away. They were heading back to Dahngrest, where Ember would change out of her knight uniform and into her regular clothes. She would also buy the younger one a sword and shield, then they'd walk to Heliord and then head to Torim Harbor. The enemies were weak here, and Ember knew healing artes. Raven shouldn't have been worried...but he was. Was it just the feelings of guilt and fear slamming around in his head? They _had _never left his system in the first place... Sighing, he couldn't tell anymore. He was tired and just wanted these feelings to go away...

He wasn't sure how much more his heart could take of it...

"Sir Schwann!"

Flinching, the man turned to the other who had called him, readily saluting. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Raven glared at LeBlanc,"Schwann? I don't know any man by that name, Lieutenant."

LeBlanc faltered, before saluting once more,"Ah, my apologies, Sir Raven!"

Smiling, Raven leaned against the railings of the boat,"So, what's so urgent ya come ta li'l ol' me about it?"

"Nothing of utmost urgencies, Sir Raven, but we knights have noticed your fatigue and request you get some sleep. We won't take no for an answer, Sir!"

Chuckling wearily, Raven shook his head,"Ah, all right. But you boys better wake me up when Heracles is in sight."

Smiling, and saluting yet again, LeBlanc said no more as his captain stalked past. He knew that even though the man wasn't wanting to be called "Schwann" anymore, that name would still linger through the halls of his mind. He would see the face of his other side in the mirror, in his dreams. The gentleman soldier would never disappear, and would be talked about in the classes of the knights as well as randomly throughout the world. The deeds that man had did would not go unwelcomed or unheard of. They would be remembered for as long as the Schwann (or was it Raven now? The captain never said..) Brigade lived, and even after that, he would still wander the world of Terca Lumereis. LeBlanc knew this his superior blamed...Schwann for the young girl's memory loss, but that blame was redirected at his Raven persona anyway. He wasn't able to think of an excuse to just keep pushing it on the dead side of him... Turning disdainly to the door that clicked close, the lieutenant wished his captain luck with all his troubles, hoping they wouldn't bother him _too_ much, and went off to intstruct the other knights.

The room was dark, yet the outlines of objects were dimly glowing in the faded light glistening in from the window. Unsure of where exactly it was, and too tired to bother looking for it, Raven ignored any signs of a light switch and carefully made his way around the furniture, inching his way to the lone bed. He knew he would be cold, climbing under the covers. He knew his dreams would cause him misery. Pushing his hands into his pocket, the man froze. Rita's goggles... Clenching his fists, Raven had to control himself. He felt like throwing the possession at the wall! He could see it..._exploding_ into hundreds of pieces, flying at him, piercing his skin and cradling the fresh injuries with a flaming blaze. Falling to his knees, the man shakily placed the goggles on a nearby surface, before clutchin his jacket closer to his body. It..felt like someone kicked him in the gut.

"Weak," his mouth had opened, but it hadn't moved. The voice was not his, yet he knew who it belonged to. Shutting his eyes, beads of sweat tickled his brow. He wouldn't look, the person standing infront of him wasn't there! They...were just an illusion! Jarring his side, pain shot through his body like poison, yet Raven remained balanced on his knees. He bowed his head lower, clenching his teeth so hard, that he thought they may break! There were no more words, but was replaced by a shrilling laughter that echoed in his ears. Damnit...but this...he was just imagining it! The person laughing at him, taunting at him, they weren't there! He knew...where this man was. Even now...the bastard was tearing away his soul little by little. But.. No! He wasn't here! That bastard wasn't fucking here! So why...why were the laughs so real? Why was the pain so real? It was just imaginary, so why was it so fucking real?!

With a sudden flicker of fear, Raven cautiously looked up, blinking blankly. Nothing was there, except for the inamimate objects that graced the room. The laughter was gone...it was never there...so why did his side still hurt? Looking down to where the pain adjourned, the man's eyes widened. His hand was gripping onto his dagger...which scarred his side. But...why had...? Slowly taking the weapon out of his flesh, Raven formed a glowing blue syringe in his free hand, and carefully injected the healing fluid into the wound. Breathing out a sigh of relief, the injury sealed itself shut. He must have been more tired than he thought... Yet what would he dream of if _that_ happened when he wasn't even unconcious?!

Getting rid of that thought, Raven searched for a drawer, stuffing his dagger inside it and headed back for the bed. He was skeptic, despite not having the weapon, because he could still choke or smother himself...depending on his dreams... Squirming under the covers, the man was almost instantly knocked out into a state of taunting punches attacking his eyelids and darkness.

"_Nothin's gon' happen ta ya, Raven, you're just..."_

He couldn't even think of an excuse to explain what he did to himself earlier. Sure, it may have been fatigue. Sure, it may have been stress. It may have even been guilt, worry, fear, anger, anxiety all mushed up into a little ball playing ping-pong with his brain. He didn't know... Bringing his hands to his face, Raven grimaced at the texture of the drying blood on his hands. His mind..._knew_ that it was _his_ blood, yet it was registering it as Rita's blood. He'd stained his already dirtied hands with her death, even though her heart still beat..she was gone. But...argh! He was so confused! Why was this so damned complicated?! Could.... Could he really make it through this? He doubted that he could, it was too much...way too much...

He couldn't handle it alone.

If he did...he...he'd probably kill himself...whether it was intentional or not.

"Aagh! _What _am I thinking?!" he wasn't doing this alone! LeBlanc and the rest of his crew had his back! Yuri and the rest of the kids, too!...Well...if they could forgive him. Turning over, Raven laid his hands under the pillow. He wasn't doing this by himself... He never was. His friends would help him bring the young girl's memories back, he was certain! Taking a deep breath, Raven felt his eyes finally weigh down, and he was soon cornered in the depths of nothingness. Silence stirred the room, and it loitered, as well, in his mind. Everything rendered dull, the light song of the man's breathing and beating heart, barely audible.

"_When y...ind...let....at...I'm...rry...._" what...what was that? Well...obviously it was a voice, but it sounded so..._robotic_. Something ice cold seemed to grace his hand, a blurry, fading image scarring his mind. Who...was it? It was obviously somebody that he knew, yet he couldn't distinguish a single feature, meshes of colours binding into each other. What did this mean? What had the person said? Well...he'd caught onto the, "I'm sorry"...but, _why_ were they sorry, and _who_ were they?! Crimson started seeping into the multitudes of colour, before fully corrupting his 'vision' with the sickening colour. Raven found himself back at Baction, under the partion of ceiling which he..._Schwann_, had kept up high for the others to escape. But..he wasn't holding it... Well, he _was_, but he was standing beside himself...Schwann.

"_Raven! Raven!!_"the man looked down, staring sadly at the young boy who was looking up at the knight with worry and fear. Raven grit his teeth and watched as his other self nodded, with Karol soon quick on his feet after that notion, scurrying towards the exit. Raven's eyes widened, realizing what was going to happen as the younger ones bolted for the exit. Keeping a keen eye on Rita, he stared at her with absolute guilt, and felt his heart crumble into thousands of pieces as she shrieked, tripping over a rock. The others hadn't noticed, the earthquake was probably vibrating the shriek into a random noise. Besides...they were already long gone by now. Hadn't even noticed the poor girl fall.

"_Rita!!"_ he turned, staring at the knight who had just called out, struggling to find a way to dispose of the ceiling above his head quickly, without flattening himself in the process. Raven's line of sight wandered back to the girl, who was looking up in fear at the giant chunks of rock that aimed for her head.

...

No!

_No! _He didn't want to see this again!

Clutching his hair, Raven shut his eyes,"Stop it!!" he hollered, his legs shaking. He didn't want to see the blood... He didn't want to see the unconcious girl... He waited for the _snap_ that would echo amongst the falling debris, but it never came. Warily, he opened his eyes, finding himself staring into nothing but a black, eternal abyss. Stumbling to and fro, the man sat himself on the...'floor'. He blinked a multitude of times, and imprisoned his eyes with his eyelids again. Breathing in, Raven felt...calm...at peace. He...liked it here. There...was nothing to hurt him. He couldn't feel pain. It was...nice. Even so, he knew he was still under blankets, snug in a bed on a battleship, heading for that blasted contraption containing his former superior and the princess. Yet, right now...none of that mattered. He _needed_ this. Needed this tranquility, this serene place. It was soothing, and all his fears, guilt, anger, worry, they all melted into the blank chasm below him. How such a nonexistant void could cheer him up, Raven did not know.

But he did not care.

He was...happy.

He was free from the binds of misery that cradled him to the demons of his heart.

Raven sighed in content, lying himself on his back. Opening his eyes, sky blue met a starless night. Words whispered in his head, but he barely took notice. They were his own thoughts, yet even they weren't important. Was he floating on Cloud Nine? Was he dying...again? The latter seemed...unlikely, as he hadn't had any dreams of death so far... Unless the Baction scenario counted as one. Although, there was most obviously nothing as heavy as that portion of ceiling which he could easily lift. Besides, the debris fell on his head in the first place.

"..ir Sch-Raven! Heracles is in sight!" squinting, the darkly shaded canvas slowly dimmed into the concerned face of LeBlanc. When his vision slowly brought itself back to reality, Raven nodded, getting himself out of the bed. The other man returned the motion, and headed out of the room. The lights were now turned on and Raven turned to the drawer which contained his dagger. Taking the weapon out, he stuffed it in his sheath on his belt. Glaincing over at the young girl's goggles, Raven contemplated sadly as to whether or not he should take them along. Hesitantly placing them in his pocket, the man headed out onto the deck, shielding his eyes from the rays of the sun. It flared a sudden spark in him, preparing him for the upcoming battle.

Heading towards the bow, Raven received many salutes by his fellow army. _He wasn't alone._ He nodded plenty of times, responding to their determination, his earnest smile never leaving his face. _His friends were there to help him. _They were going to finish this ordeal and leave Alexei in the dust! He was going to pay the price of his crimes by spilling his own blood! _Rita would be fine._ Arriving at the front of the ship, he glared at the monstrosity in the distance. It would start shooting at them soon enough. _Everyone would help bring her memories back. _Feeling an adrenaline rush already surging through his veins, the man could only think of how fun this would be!

Tightening his ponytail, Raven could feel the sun surge waves of encouraging energy onto him and his crew. They were embracing the flames of war, and this battle would drum the beats of a broken trust. The commandant was going to wish he'd never planned any of this nonsense! The kids were gonna help teach this bastard a lesson too. He wasn't getting away this time!

"Men, we're inching closer to the blaze of our meal. Stay prepared, for Hell only gets hotter from here! We're going to show the devil and his minions that even the most intense of heats can be put out eventually! Today, we douse these putrid flames for good!" lifting an arm in triumph, the man's grin widened as his soldiers cheered along with him.

Glancing away from their destination, Raven could see the outline of the young captain's ships. Suddenly, their warship lurched to the side, and Raven quickly grabbed onto the railings for support. Harboring a deep chuckle, the man look up past his bangs.

"Activate defensive barriers!"

"Sir!"

And so, it began.

---

Sneakers: WHOOO, HAI.

...Note to Self: QUIT MAKING RAVEN DO THESE SPEECH THINGS, YOU FAIL AT THEM, JEEZE. XDD

UH. UH. UUUUHHHH.. I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO SAY FOR THIS ONE. JUST THAT, I WROTE IT AT SCHOOL, AND SORTA KINDA EDITED SOME STUFF ON THE COMP.  
AND YES, I LIKE HOLDING DOWN THE SHIFT BUTTON.  
CRUISE CONTROL.  
WHEEEEEEE~

SO UH, ANYWAY, I'VE STARTED THE NEXT CHAPTER...ON PAPER...AGAIN........SO UH YEAH.

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS, GUYS! YOU MAKE ME HAPPY. 8D


	6. Pressure

Tatt**e**r**e**d **Sl**ipper**s**

_Pre__**s**__s__**u**__re_

---

Yanking his dagger out of the fallen soldier, Raven glowered as more reinforcements flooded out the door to the rickety stairs of Heracles. Damn! If there were still this many of Alexei's troops, his own men must have fallen pretty quickly inside... Dead, captured, tortured or alive, either way, Raven was going to make these bastards pay! Dodging the lances and swords that struck at his flesh, his eyes darted to the mages in the back. He had to get rid of them quickly! LeBlanc, Adecor and Boccos didn't have the magic defense that he had!

Loading his bow with multiple arrows, aiming them straight into the sky, he released their fury and quickly added more arrows to the barrage. He waved a goodbye as most of the army was pinned down under the projectiles, and finished off the rest of the knights he got with his dagger and bow (in it's more compact form), of course with the help of the other three. When all the bodies on the ground held absolutely no more breaths, Raven sighed in relief, taking back what he said about his own men falling inside. They were probably dealing with combat machines, and with only a handful of them knowing magic, were having a few difficulties. They wouldn't give up that easily! After all, the captain and the three subordinates had just wiped out a swarm of knights in a matter of minutes. Staring out into the horizon, the man smiled softly at the form of the flying whale, which drew in closer with each second. It wasn't going to be long now...

Gripping onto the railings, Raven gagged, suddenly feeling sick. Was it poison?... No, he'd managed to avoid all the blows aimed at him, and the other three had gotten wounded, yet they hadn't doubled over. It wasn't lethal, wasn't deadly. He knew what it was, but he wouldn't admit to it.

Acknowledging it would make him weak...

He couldn't be weak...

He needed to be strong...!

"Sir Schwann, are you all right?" turning to his comrades, Raven cradled his hands behind his head, tapping his foot lightly on the metal flooring, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"Schwann? I'm afraid you've mistaken me for somebody else again, Lieutenant."

"M-My apologies, Sir Raven! But, are you-"

"I'm fine, just a bit light-headed from fightin' is all. Now, you men go ahead and wait for the kids, I'll scout out for any survivors here." the trio saluted in response as their captain headed off in the other direction.

"I say, be careful, Sir!"

"Yes, please be wary!"

The older man chuckled, stabbing the still bodies on the ground with the bladed parts of his bow. When he distanced himself from the other men, Raven heaved another sigh, leaning himself lightly on the wall beside him, behind a ledge. He was shaking... Swallowing down any queasy feelings, Raven bit his tongue and closed his eyes. He could see their faces...glaring at him with disgust and betrayal. It was only natural that they hate him for the stunts he pulled... Looking around, the man gripped his weapon tightly. He could hear the roar of Ba'ul as the Entelexeia rose into the sky, away from the giant weapon. The man was barely able to hear the chatter of the others. Taking a deep breath, he rounded the corner and strode towards the group. Would they yell at him...? Would they try to ignore him completely...?

"You three remind me of an idiotic gentleman, who isn't here anymore..."

"Yeah, and I'd prefer not remembering his face. So, if you don't mind getting out of our way..."

Judy and Yuri...and Karol and Repede were all up there. The dog probably caught his scent already... Smiling glumly, Raven turned the small corner which he laid against, and headed up the small flight of stairs.

"Must've been an ugly mug, if ya didn't want ta remember the poor fella's face!" his smile deleted the sadness upon seeing the shocked faces of his friends. The younger man's expression was completely priceless! Eyes wide and mouth open so wide, you could land a plane in it! The youngest looked as if he would cry, and cut the older man in half at the same time, while the woman just held high eyebrows.

"Raven?!"

"Old man?!"

"It's you!"

After doing his traditional backflip, Raven gave a thumbs up. Despite his motions, he almost felt like bursting into tears... Would they really forgive him? Could they...well, he wasn't even sure if they trusted him in the first place. Taking a deep breath, he settled himself down. He had to force force his knees to stop from shaking. He was almost as scared as when Rita stared up at him with those innocent eyes...

"What's the matter? So happy ta see me, cat's got yer tongue?" resting his arms behind his head, Raven examined the younger ones again. They seemed to be recovering from the shock and were not staring at him out of anger, confusion or...anguish? He wasn't sure on that last one...

"Men, hold down fort here."

"Right away, Sir!"

When the knights scurried off, the air surrounding the now smaller group thickened to a dense and dark atmosphere. Stepping forward, the purple-clad vigilante eyed the older man with such a stare, it sent shivers up and down Raven's spine, through the rest of his bones, and hugged his blood, crawling through his body.

"What are you doing here, old man? Don't think we forgot what you did."

...

Raven remained silent, his mouth suddenly didn't want to work. It felt like someone glued it shut, then sewed it down as well for safety measures. Staring dimly at the floor from the corner of his eyes, the man racked his brain for words. Many came up, but none of them were what he needed to say for something at this moment. His mind felt like it were on fire, and it now engulfed the previous chill from Yuri's stare into a raging inferno. If he didn't do something to cease his shaking fears, Raven would most definitely fall to the floor, onto his knees. He...felt so damned weak...

The weight of the world was resting on his shoulders. He wasn't able to lift it, could barely even lift his arms up, so he fell through the floor into a dank, dark and cold abyss.

"Raven! W-what's wrong, are you okay?" at the mention of his name, the man borught his attention back to the younger ones, staring at him with idle concern. A light grin pierced his lips, and Raven could feel the tears stinging the back of his eyes. Blinking, he rid of their annoyance and nodded lightly, mouth still not wanting to open and communicate.

"You know where Rita is, don't you?" the Krityan asked, eyes brimming with curiosity and sincerity. Raven nodded once more, gritting his teeth and stared absently as Yuri stepped even closer, hand on his hip.

"We know you can talk, old man, or did the cat turn around and get your tongue instead?" the tone in the younger man's voice caused Raven to flinch. He seemed pissed beyond reason...

Sighing, the man bared a small frown, finally finding his voice again,"Listen, I...I'm sorry...for what I did... I know it will take a while to regain your trust...and that a simple apology isn't enough, but you young'ins....may be the only hope to get Rita back... So, please, let this old man tag along with ya some more.."

"To get Rita back? What happened? Is she lost?" the boy piped up, conjuring up multiple thoughts of the teenaged girl trapped under the ceiling of Baction.

The man chuckled wearily,"In a sense, I suppose she is. She ain't buried six feet under though, trust me, 'cause if she was, I'd be right there with her."

Folding her arms across her chest, Judith frowned,"Amnesia?"

"Yeah... Amnesia."

There was a deafening quiet, and Raven bowed his head. They were angry with him... He could feel the bitterness gouging its way into his heart... Yet, they...were also showing concern, and weren't acting as he had anticipated. Did they...forgive him?...No, his heart was containing their rage... He didn't know...they gave off mixed vibes, except for the obvious twinge of fury. He wish that the earth weighed less, for he felt like he was never going to get back up...

...

!!

The man held back a holler of pain as sparks seemed to crackle in his side, burrowing deeper and deeper. Falling to his knees, he clamped his teeth tightly together, falling against the wall. Hissing when he captured his side in a tight grip, hoping the pain would subside. It didn't take long for him to realize that...he was cradling the injury he had inflicted upon himself before he slept on the warship... But, he _knew_ he hadn't brought the pain to himself, as he dropped both weapons when it suddenly emerged. Did the wound reopen?! Seething, Raven nearly blacked out when he realized that he felt no oozing crimson streaming along his fingers.

Opening his hazy sky-blue eyes, Raven had to blink multiple times to get his vision to normal... Yet everything remained in a gray hue, the people infront of him looking like statues. When the pain rapidly increased, Raven full out screeched, sobbing as he slammed into the cold, metal ground below.

"Pathetic," the man whimpered, the voice, again, was not his. This time, it was different though... It was a girl speaking. He knew her too...knew where she was...she wasn't there...couldn't be there. _Why_? _Why_ was he being tortured like this?! Who hated him up there?! Laughter started to shriek inside his ears, each and every single chuckle seeming to physically pierce his any and all fibres in his body. He couldn't move. His body was buried in needles and turmoil, guilt and craziness, everything and absolutely nothing. Pulsing, his heart pounded roughly against his chest, slamming and clawing at a tremendous speed with every thrust that the laughter pushed onto him. Shakily bringing his hand up to his heart, Raven could feel bile rise up in his throat with each trembling movement. Clutching his demised lifeline, he saw his life briefly flash before his eyes.

"_Damnit! Calm down...! I...I can't die here....Rita...."_

He was scared. Absolutely terrified. Infact, scared, terrified, petrified, afraid, none of these words could describe what Raven was feeling. _He_ didn't even know what he was feeling, just that he was so fucking lost, confused and everything else and all and inbetween. The main thing that he knew...was that he had to calm himself down...

If he didn't....

"Raven!!"

"Hey, snap out of it!"

"S-Sir Sch-Raven!"

Snapping his eyes open, the man coughed a multitude of times, expecting blood or vomit, but all that came out was air. Wavering, he got on his hands and knees, taking deep, laboured breaths. It took him a good couple of minutes before his body quit tremouring like an earthquake, to get the tears to stop flowing, and he slowly rose to his feet, feeling all the worried glances that gazed upon him. Keeping a hand on the wall behind him just in case, he looked up and grinned an apology. His inner mind was having difficulty coping as to what just happened, questioning every little ounce of pain that went in his body, and the girl, the laughs, everything.

"Sir, are you wounded? What happened?"

"What the hell happened, old man?!"

"Did that happen because Alexei was toying with your heart?" Raven froze and glared darkly at Judith, who looked at him with nothing but worried sympathy. That fact had never crossed his mind... But was that bastard actually capable of getting to his heart's formula without being close? Damnit, he wish he knew!

"Might as well be..." he grumbled disdainly, before raising a hand and silencing the four who continued to question him. He felt a monstrous headache steamrolling into his brain..."I'm fine now, don't worry 'bout it. So, kids, I never did get ta hear an answer as to whether or not ya wanted me to tag along with ya again." Raven watched patiently as the younger ones seemed to have conversations with their eyes, before turning to the knights and nodding. They saluted, knowing what he was asking them to do, and headed back to stand guard. Staring past the young vigilante, Raven entranced himself in the past horizon. Honestly, he didn't think that they'd let him fight with them again... After everything that he did, he didn't deserve any little amount of trust they had for him, he didn't deserve their friendship... The man wouldn't be surprised if they just asked where Rita was, so they could get her after this was all over, and leave him with his soldiers.

"_Are you my daddy?"_ he shuddered, digging into his pocket and clenching the pink-lensed goggles. He was going to get her back... No matter what. Captured, tortured, alive, cut in half, in a coma, missing a leg, nothing would stop him from getting the girl back to her former self. Nothing. Death, he would punch it in the face and beat it senseless until it brought him back to the living. He wasn't losing this war... Not this time.

"Raven," the man's attention spanned back to the others, his heart drumming. The stare that the younger man gave him worried him. Was this it? Were they going to reject him?

"You can come back with us, but on one condition."

Raven raised his eyebrows,"And what might that be?" pain shattered across his face, and he quickly covered his soon-to-be bruising cheek. He'd barely registered the fact that it was Yuri that punched him until the ex-knight spoke again.

"Your life belongs to Brave Vesperia now. Whether you live or die, depends on us." after taking a couple more hits from Karol and Judy, Raven could feel those dreaded tears spring back to his eyes. They were from both the pain, and the happiness. Shooing them away, Raven picked up his weaponry and slowly followed the others.

It took him a while to realize, but he didn't feel as much weight on his shoulders.

---

Sneakers: SUP, GAIZ. Wrote this on paper, again... Wait...did I tell you that last chapter? Ah well, and I, again, added/edited more stuff to it when putting it on the computer. Please take notice that I was _extremely_ tired when typing this up, so some things may be a little wierd or...yeah. XD;;

Thanks for the review, Icy! And don't worry, why Raven tought Rita how to use the sword will be explained next chapter...and if not next chapter...then soon enough! XDD

And lolo, by the way guys, I know that LeBlanc is actually..well just Leblanc, BUT IT LOOKS COOLER WITH A CAPITAL B, YO. (/stabbed)

Hope you guys keep on readin and reviewin. 8D


	7. Hide and Seek

Tattered Slippers

__

Hide and Seek

---

Raven was shocked at the inside of the Heracles. So many troops...that weren't his... Where _was_ his army? He couldn't see a single uniform of orange anywhere! Just red...

"Raven!" he turned to the hushed whisper, quickly joining the group as they hid behind some boxes next to a wall. There was enough room for the humans and the dog to squeeze in without being uncomfortable, the boxes placed so people could access them easily from both the front and back. Raven grinned sheepishly as Yuri glared at him.

"Keep zoning out, old man, and we'll send you back to your knights until we're done here."

"Ah, don't worry, I'll be good."

Cocking an eyebrow, the vigilante stared oddly at his elder, the man not knowing if it was worry or doubt. Shaking his head, Yuri sighed, "Do you know where Alexei is?"

Scratching his chin, Raven quickly thought of the commandant's motives, and how he would work with it. It didn't take long, at all, to get the answer, "Prob'ly in the war room."

"Do you know where that is?"

"Unfortunately, that's one piece-a info I don't have."

Nodding, the vigilante started to disperse from their hiding spot still careful to try and stay out of sight. Even though they could (most likely) take out all the enemies that got in their way, it would still be easier if they could sneak up on the soldiers before they called reinforcements. Despite knowing Inverno, the combat machines would still be quite a problem, as the range of the icicles didn't go that far and even the tiny shards after it exploded would barely scathe the metal weapons. Raven's fingers twitched, before burying themselves in his coat pocket, tightly grasping the goggles. If only he knew what Rita..._had_ known.

"Hey, what's wrong with the sorcerer's ring? It's glowing!" the man looked up, unaware that he'd looked down in the first place. Karol was staring intently at Yuri's hand, ring indeed glowing profusely.

"I saw this happen at Ghasfarost as well." the Krityan woman commented, intrigued.

Raven suddenly yelped as the goggles seemed to boil. He yanked his hand out of his pocket and started waving it blindly in the air. He could feel the wandering glances of his friends as he hopped around, blowing on the heat burning his flesh...sorta. His vision flashed back to his pocket, where the heat seeped into his side. If he didn't know any better, he thought his coat would burst into flames!

"Settle down, old man, or you'll get us all killed!"

Stopping his little "dance", Raven tried to calm himself down, yet the goggles still continued to seem as if they were burning through to his bones. What was happening? How could...? Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the little ornament on Yuri's finger, the ring still glowing. Blinking, Raven raised an eyebrow, examining the ring very carefully from where he stood.

He...

__

Knew

what was happening with it?

"It's....geometry is changing...? It's.....internal geometry?"

"Huh?"

He couldn't explain it...but he could hear Rita's voice echoing in his head?

"Try...shooting it at that gate," he nodded towards a small little gate, seeming to block nothing. Slowly turning towards the metal, Yuri stared at Raven through the corner of his eye, before turning his attention back to the gate. Aiming the ring at it, he released its power, and the small little gate fell apart.

Jumping up and down, Karol rushed over to the broken gate, "That's so cool! Can we destroy anything with it?"

"No," the oldest replied, "the aer in the ring is too low of capacity to destroy absolutely everything its power comes in contact with. We'll likely only be able to destroy small things, like those gates or locks."

Silence. Raven had closed his eyes when explaining...and now he couldn't remember a word he said. He knew what happened to the ring...but he didn't remember explaining it...even though he just did a matter of seconds ago. Nothing was burning in his pocket anymore... His brow furrowed and he slowly brought his hands back to his side, realizing he'd been standing as Rita had when she was deep in thought...or lecturing the others on certain blastia, or when she was examining the aer krene... He didn't want to open his eyes. He was frightened... Scared he'd be staring at the young girl, arms crossed as she tapped her foot, demanding for her head accessory back.

But why he was frightened of such a thought... He didn't know.

After all, she would be back as the fiery mage he knew her as before, not such a lost...innocent little girl.

...He guessed he was scared...because seeing..._old_ Rita would mean that he was going insane, or dying... That girl wasn't back yet, and he didn't know if she ever would be.

Gulping, his cerulean orbs opened, and the sad faces of his friends entered his line of sight.

Judith smiled dimly, "This ordeal seems to have affected you more than I thought..." she paused, face losing the nice demeanour,"...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, Judith darlin'... You have nothing' ta be sorry for... Now come on! Alexei won't stop this thing from squashin' Zaphias if we just stand here!" Raven gleamed, marching past the younger ones as they quietly followed, muttering softly to themselves. Raven silently winced, pushing his hands back in his pockets, the headgear rubbing against his fingers.

"_What the hell are ya doin' ta me, Rita?"_

Trekking through the monstrosity had been easier than the group had anticipated. The soldiers were easily taken care of, and the war machines...had been a bit more troublesome. The only thing none of them had been expecting was the multiple barriers that blocked the path to their destination. It didn't take long for them to get rid of the first two at all, but if Karol hadn't mentioned he'd seen some funny looking device, they wouldn't have gotten the moving blastia blocks overhead, which they'd shoot with the sorcerer's ring to destroy the little panels keeping the barriers up.

Raven shivered, the only sound echoing off the walls were the groups light footsteps, and the barely audible whirring gears. They had defeated the small army in this area, and hadn't been as surprised when they hadn't bothered to call in reinforcements. The other soldiers they fought hadn't, so it...was expected. Trudging through the tiny pools of the crimson liquid, the man had to try his hardest not to gag. He couldn't stop imagining...that all the stilled bodies...were Rita....that all the blood was...was hers...and he'd killed her over and over again. He wanted to stop thinking like this... But...he couldn't. His head was on a one-way track, and pretty soon the rail would end, and he'd go careening into a crater... Falling... Bashing against the jagged sides with no recovery time whatsoever... He would keep falling until his heart stopped pumping...

"Raven," the man jumped out of his thoughts and stared tiredly at Judith, who now stood beside him, eyes showered with concern, "are you all right?"

Raven grinned, "I never thought you'd be one ta care 'bout this old man, Judy."

"Oh? But I care about everyone," the woman responded, gaze softening. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, she asked again, "Are you sure you're all right?" She knew the answer; she could see it clear as day. He was not all right, not at all. She just wanted to see...if he was in denial or not. Wanted to see how his mind worked.

The man met her eyes, and Judith almost flinched at the gaze. His fatigue was clearly visible, and instead of looking thirty-five, he looked fifty. Definitely not all right.... Perhaps they _should_ have left him with his second-in-command until they finished here... But they couldn't send him back now...

"Ta be honest with ya, Judith darlin', I've...been better." his voice sounded shaft and hollow. The Krityan was at a loss for words. Not because of his answer, but of everything else about him. If she hadn't talked to him, would she have noticed how tired the man seemed? How his shoulders were slumped and he was hunched? Would she have noticed the stressful wrinkles on his forehead as he glared ahead, deep in thought? Would she have realized...that the man was more human then she seemed to have thought before?

"We'll get them back...don't worry." Raven refused to look at Judith again, staring dimly at his feet. They'd get the princess back, he knew that, but Rita...he...he wasn't sure. He told himself that they would but...it felt like he was lying to himself... He wanted to keep positive attitude around the younger ones, but doing so only seemed to make him more...and he hated to admit it, but, depressed. And...the taunting, the laughing, which came after the pain from the wound he inflicted upon himself.... What did it mean? The goggles seeming as if they were on fire... What did...what did everything mean? He'd hear Rita's voice echoing in his head, but.... Maybe...maybe he was just an insane, senile old man, after all. Or maybe...it was Alexei toying with his heart... Wait....the commandant didn't know that he was still alive...did he?

"Hey, Raven?" the young boy looked behind his shoulder, staring at the older man with interest, "You said Rita lost her memory, right? Is she different from what she used to be?"

Raven faltered, before chuckling softly, "Like ya wouldn't believe, kiddo."

Karol's eyes lit up with wonder, "Really? W-what's she like now?"

"Calm down, Captain, we can see what she's like when we meet her...again. For now, let's stick to the task at hand." Yuri commented, staring intently at the giant steel doors that were a couple of steps away. Assisting the younger man in pushing the heavy doors open, Raven almost immediately realized something when the gush of warm air wrapped around his face.

Alexei wasn't there.

How could he have forgotten that the man was a mastermind of decoys?! No...it didn't matter. Even if Alexei and the princess weren't there, they would still have to stop Heracles from squishing Zaphias! Entering the room, Raven stared at all the blinking controls, feeling light-headed. The goggles pulsed heat for a split moment, and then died down again. Was...Rita...?

....That was ridiculous! She couldn't...

Following the others down the metal steps, the man's feet felt like lead. The machines...he almost felt as if he knew what each one did, but at the same time, he was completely floored.

"Damn," the ex-knight muttered, "I don't know what any of this stuff does... Judy? Old man? Karol?"

"Sorry, I'm not good with technology, but I can break it if it comes down to it."

"No way! What if you smash a certain button and blow us up?!"

"Relax, Karol, that won't happen because Judy won't smash it."

"Aw, that's too bad."

Raven was barely registering the conversation between the trio, head pounding with confusion and anxiety. He felt sick to his stomach again, and his legs seemed non-existent. He didn't know what was going on...he was terrified... Why was this happening?! He wanted to speak, but his mouth felt glued shut again. He wasn't even sure he was thinking properly, every single confused, angry, worried thoughts tripping over each other in his head. Sometimes, he wasn't even sure _he_ was the one thinking these things...

"Yuri Lowell!!" snapping out of his tired running mind, Raven's attention aimed at a now shattered window to his left, psycho maniac with tri-coloured hair grinning devilishly beyond the broken glass.

"We don't have time to deal with you, Zagi! Now buzz off!" Yuri snarled, hand twitching on his sword, desiring to smack it in the man's face.

"Oh, but we have all the time in the world to play! With Heracles just being a decoy, it's given me another chance to rip you to pieces!"

"What?!"

"You heard me! Heracles was just a decoy! Alexei was never here to begin with! He went straight to Zaphias!"

"Yuri! We have to-"

"Shut up, kid! Yuri, come fly with me!!"

"Damnit!" the crazed lunatic charged at the ex-knight, twin blades clashing with the lone sword, the other two digging out their weapons, trying to fend off Zagi as well. Reaching for his bow, Raven immediately felt a looming dread wash through his body... He..._forgot_ how to hold the weapon?

He wanted to use....a sword?

...No?

He...he didn't know!

And he couldn't remember his magic spells! Fuck!

"We could use your help here, old man!"

Raven could only respond with a meager squeak, his body wasn't obeying him at all. His vision was fading...the voices were disappearing.

Multi-coloured blurs headed towards him, laughter the only thing he could comprehend.

"Move, Raven, _MOVE_!!"

He couldn't...

Damnit...

Sneakers: HAI. Sorry it took awhile to get this up..and that it's not all that great. DX  
hdsjkghsjkghsjk I dunno really what to say, but the next chapter will take awhile to get up too. Tryin not to fail grade nine lol...Stupid science teacher.  
And it is mah b-day May 30th. 8P  
Yay.


	8. Vermilion Sunset

Tattered Slippers

_Vermilion Sunset_

---

"_Daddy?"_

The soft voice collided back and forth with itself, wave after wave of the same word until it collapsed into a fading murmur. The man groaned, barely able to open his weighted eyes. Crimson lights blurred his already blurry vision, and he squinted more than he thought he could without closing his eyes. His breathing was raspy, and his whole body was exploding in pain. The man tried to call out, only to have a cracked moan replace his words. Rita, she was on the ship. He didn't know how, but he just heard her, and he had to get her off this thing! She could...she could die! Raven seethed, wincing as he tried to sit up. Every fibre of his body rejected the movement, causing him to crash back down on the floor. He could feel the tears eating away at the corners of his eyes.

Damnit! He was going to die wasn't he?

No! He had to live!

But, he knew this feeling...This indescribable feeling of your soul slowly lifting out of your body. This feeling of being near death.

He wasn't going to die here! He couldn't! He wasn't leaving this world again until he got that girl's memories back! Damnit!!

Gritting his teeth, he struggled to get up again, only to be forced back down. This time it wasn't by the pain, it was by a hand pushing down hard on his chest,"Don't move! You'll only make things worse."

Raven started finding it harder to breath, the person who was keeping him down probably not realizing exactly _how_ much force they were inflicting upon his chest. Extremely shakily and slowly, he brought his hand up to slowly lift the others off his mangled body, and he had barely even registered he'd done so until his arm went falling back to the floor again. This wasn't good. He couldn't feel that arm anymore. He couldn't feel his legs. His vision wasn't getting better, the red blurry blobs disintegrating into nothing but black fizz. The voices that were semi-clear were now starting to collapse with that heart-breaking 'Daddy' which he had heard earlier. Shutting his eyes tightly, he could feel the warm tears drift down his face, stinging some cuts they managed to weave themselves into.

That was it.

He was done.

Everything after that, it was just total emptiness. Not the emptiness that had him calm and at peace on the warship taking him to this dreaded contraption, no, it was a horrible emptiness. He had experienced it once before, and he wished he wouldn't have to experience it again. If this emptiness had once embraced somebody who wasn't about to die, who was never close to a near-death experience, the sheer anxiety, guilt, anguish, fear, it would drive the person insane. And they would likely take their own life. But, Raven never seemed to die happy. Both times there had been something that ripped at his heart, which he wanted to protect...but failed.

Heh.

He failed as a soldier, and he failed as a father.

Did he deserve _another_ chance? He honestly wished he did, but the only healer their little group had at the moment was Karol, but he was probably too tired to swing that giant weapon and those healing artes on the floor. Besides...his injuries were probably too severe, the young boy's efforts would probably be in vain. His healing artes only seemed to mark surface wounds, unable to mend broken bones or internal bleeding.

"Yuri...take good care of Rita for me, would ya?"

The man really wished he could take care of the young girl himself, but he guessed it was futile. There was no way he was going to come out of this alive, and this "near-death" part would fully escalate into just plain old dead. He always called himself a dead man, but he just guessed he never really remembered how life...felt. He'd always wanted to die again, after being brought back to life by that bastard Commandant. Yet, now, at this very moment, he wanted to keep on walking. Despite accepting the fact that he wasn't going to breath anymore, he just...wanted to stay alive.

Or maybe...He just wanted to say goodbye.

_"Daddy! Daddy, don't die! I don't wanna be alone! Daddy!!"_

"I...I'm so sorry, kiddo..."

Wait a minute...He could feel pounding on his chest. Was he really...getting a third chance at life? He never thought a higher power would love him this much...or loved torturing him this much...or...liked to keep him alive this much. Whatever that higher power was keeping him alive for, he was damn well thankful beyond words.

"You're not dying on us yet, old man! Brave Vesperia won't allow it! Just hang in there, damnit!" Yuri's determined voice rang in Raven's ears, and he couldn't help but flinch. His whole body wanted nothing more than to die and be numb from this pain, he still couldn't open his eyes it was that bad, but he wouldn't allow death. He wasn't going to have any of these damned experiences anymore!

"Move, move! Or do you want your friend to die?" despite the question, the voice was utterly cheerful. Shortly after, the pressure on his chest was lifted and the sound of a magic circle clouded the air. A feeling of relief immediately soared through him, and he was slowly able to open his eyes, everything blurred for a few moments, before the concered face of Karol staring down at him was clear. Groaning, he slowly lifted himself up, and looked around blankly. Yeager's followers were there. Droite using her healing artes to aid the others, and Gauche busying herself with the control panel nearby.

Finishing her duties, the greenhaired girl bounced back up to her boss, Raven frowning at the sight of the man.

"Yeager, the controls have malfunctioned. There's nothing I can do." the other girl commented, before joining her sister beside the man.

Raven continued glaring, barely noticing Yuri take a step forward,"Yeager! What's going on?!"

"It would be very bad, yes very bad indeed, if the empire got too big for its britches." the man kept on smiling, making Raven in turn, completely sick to his already uneasy stomach. How he hated this man... With a wink and a smile, Droite bounced on her spot.

"The Sword Stair of Zaphias has a secret, you know! You should try figuring it out~! You may find something you liiiiiike~!"

Smiling, Yeager put his hands on the two girls shoulders, and his smiling face turned serious,"I thought for sure that he'd need Dein Nomos to use as a key." and then that smile found it's way back,"Ja, but it looks like he's planning on using your little princess instead."

"What?!" Raven turned to Yuri, who's hand twitched on the handle of his sword.

Judith crossed her arms and stared sternly at the ex-knight through the corner of her eye,"Now's not the time to get worked up over this. If we don't cut the power, Zaphias will end up being wiped out!"

Turning to look out the window, Raven realized they were inching closer to the land. Seeing as how apparently the controls malfunctioned, it didn't seem like pressing random buttons trying to stop the damned thing would work! Damn it, if only Rita were...

"Well, I wish you luck with that! So...toodles!" Raven didn't look back to watch the accented man flee. He knew he'd just want to strike an arrow in his back... His bow! He remembered how to hold it! And his spells! He could remember them! Taking the weapon in his hand, Raven swung it around, never remembering it being so heavy.

"Yeager. Just what is it he's after?"

"Let's think about that later. Right now, we've got to stop Heracles."

"I know. Let's go find the engine room. Come on, old man!"

"Yeager... You won't get off the hook next time!" watching as Karol followed the others up the stairs, the man deepened his scowl. Nobody got Yeager other than him. Whether it was the kid or the dog, Yeager was his kill. The Don entrusted him to finish the man off, and that's what he'd do. Quickly remembering his legs would function now, he scurried to catch up with the group, Repede seeming to notice him first, staring back at him with his aqua blue eye. The canine soon slowed down, and started trotting alongside with the man instead of Yuri, which confused the man, but he didn't say anything.

Continuing to make their way towards the engine room which they'd seen earlier, Karol soon turned his head, looking back at the eldest,"Hey, Raven...why didn't you fight back there? You were just standing there like a statue!"

"I must say, that strategy wasn't your best." the Krityan woman smiled, arms held behind her back.

"Honestly, old man, you could have cast a few spells or something. Hell, you could have even given as a few cheers! Anything would have been better than just being a free target for that phsyco to kill." the vigilante didn't look back, but just shook his head in exasperation.

Raven wanted to smile and joke around with them, but that whole experience of forgetting how to hold his weapon, forgetting his spells, and not knowing what the hell he wanted to use in replace of them, it just brought him down further into the slump he was in. He stared unclearly at the ground, the only thing he could take in being the crimson that had stained the floor. Rita...

"It's...complicated." he finally managed to mutter, feeling the odd glances sent his way. Nobody said anything more as they got closer to their destination, staring at the guards at the bottom of the stairs. Yuri leaned over the railing, finding Flynn's second-in-command trying to talk some sense into the Commandant's troops. How stupid was she? Those knights followed Alexei around as if he were billions upon billions of gald! Not seeming to care how far down it was, and how many bones they may break, both Yuri and Judith jumped over the railing while everyone else quickly ran down the flights of stairs. Reaching the bottom, Raven stared in disbelief as the girl knight continued to try to tell the other knights were in the wrong.

Raven watched as Yuri tensed when one of the knights commented on Flynn trying to overthrow "His Exellency", calling the blonde a traitor. Quickly knocking the knights out with an azure edge, Sodia directed her sword in the groups direction, glaring intensely at Yuri.

"I don't recall asking for your help."

Yuri raised an eyebrow,"Don't they teach knights how to say a simple 'thank you' these days?"

The girl edged closer, her gaze deepening with anger,"I will never give thanks to you as long as I live!" edging closer, both her hands now rested on her blade,"You didn't think I could just let you walk away, did you?"

The vigilante returned the look, sneering,"Jeeze, how many times am I seriously going to have to say this? We don't have time to mess around with you!"

Gripping tighter onto her spear, Judith commented,"If you really want to fight right now, then we will not hold back. There is something much more important we have to be doing, but I suppose we could make time for you."

"...You plan on saving Lady Estellise?"

"Yeah, so come on, put down your sword." Karol stared at the knight, eagerness dwelling in his eyes. Raven bowed his head, before quickly tying his ponytail and smiled lightly at the girl.

"He's right, ya know. Nobody'd be a winner in this fight."

"Captain Schwann..." Raven slightly flinched, before regaining his composure.

"It's Raven. You'll remember for me from now on, wontcha, Miss Sodia?" the woman hesitantly sheathed her sword, and sent her attention straight back at Yuri. She commented on how she hadn't forgotten that he was a criminal, how he had no right to be standing next to Flynn, and that once she sorted everything in Heracles out, she'd be back to give him the proper punishment in which he deserved. Another of Flynn's knights came by and dragged Sodia off to help some of their other knights. Heading to the engine room, they had no difficulty in getting through the steel doors. It seemed like Flynn's brigade had taken out most, if not all, knights and war machines standing near the doorway, and the group quickly made their way inside.

After getting inside the elevator, and once it reached their destination, Raven was in absolute shock with all the aer flooding out of the blastia. He was thankful it didn't flow onto the steel flooring they were standing on, because he wasn't sure how that much aer would affect his heart.

"Damn...! Seems like Zagi busting up that control panel must have done more damage than we thought..." Raven raised his eyebrows in question, staring at the vigilante. But then he just figured that Zagi must have been aiming at someone when they were infront of the controls, and that someone ended up dodging, and the blows were received on the machine. Feeling the goggles in his pocket burn with a light heat, he suddenly felt the urge to look up. So he did, and was amazed at what he saw.

"Wait, Judith darlin'!" he shouted, gripping onto her arm as she readied to destroy something. She stared at him, bewildered.

"I don't think waiting's going to do us any good, Raven!"

"Now just hang on! I think...I think I get it! Look up there!" he pointed at the giant tube, the giant blastia, in the middle of the room, shooting aer up into something. An apatheia sat in the middle of it,"That apatheia in there is causin' the aer to flow at a tremendous rate, it's outta control. It's chargin' up somethin' real big, like that cannon on the front of this damned thing! If you destroy that blastia, Heracles may stop workin', but that cannon could fire and Zaphias would just be nothin' but a giant hole in the ground!"

Everyone turned to look at the old man, and Judy relaxed her arm, Raven letting go. Karol ran up to Raven's side and starting shaking his arm,

"S-so what should we do?!" he looked up at the older man, fear emminent in his eyes.

"We use this." Yuri held his sword out infront of him, staring at it darkly. Dein Nomos. The sword which earned the bearer rights to be emperor or empress. The sword which Duke used to get the aer under control in Keiv Moc. The sword which would save Zaphias...

It _had_ to save Zaphias!

Getting closer to the blastia, Raven noticed Judy grow tense as the apatheia came closer into sight. She really cared about the Entelexeia, whether she knew them before their death or not. Then, Raven noticed Karol's legs shaking. He was obviously scared of something going wrong, like the cannon still firing. It was probably still likely of it doing so... Standing infront of the blastia, Yuri quickly lifted Dein Nomos, a flurry of lights and designs swirling around him, before a flash of white covered the entire room. A "thank you" had also bounced along the walls. When the blinding light vanished, the aer had backed down to it's normal speed of distribution, now a healthy green instead of a raging red. Heracles had stopped moving.

"What about the cannon?!" Yuri turned to Raven, as well as the others. He looked back and forth between them all, raising his hands defensively.

"What? What?! Why ya'll lookin' at me like that?" he took a step back, before he realized something. He could hear something...sparking? Oh no, was the cannon still charging up?! Yelping when something rammed into Heracles, causing it to lean, Raven really could only believe the cannon was going to fire, and that Flynn's Brigade was trying to set Heracles' aim away from the capital.

"Wah?! Wh-what's going on?!" Karol yelled, falling on the ground as boats continued to strike the giant contraption. After a couple more minutes of panic and chaos, the Krityan woman pointed out to the walk out partion of the warship, which could see the distant city. Zaphias wasn't centered with the view, it was now more on the right. Raven heard Yuri sigh of relief. The capital was safe. Only a few moments after Judith had pointed outside, did a streak of blue and white smash through the water and over hills, before exploding into a giant pillar of light that shook the earth.

Smiling, the man rose to his feet and stared at the still standing city, shoving his hands in his pocket. The head accessory wasn't burning anymore, it had stopped after Yuri had pulled out Dein Nomos. But if they hadn't...he may have just pulled out his weapons and smashed the blastia along with Judith, resulting in Zaphias being nothing more than a memory. Raven closed his eyes, the conversation between the other three lost to his ears. He could only wonder if Rita...was trying to communicate with him? Those thoughts were definitely not his own, and neither were the ones when they passed the little bubble of aer sticking out of a pipe, causing the sorcerer's ring to grow stronger. She wasn't gone. But he wondered if he'd be able to get Rita to physically put on the goggles again? She seemed really fond of that new headband... Even gave the little bee on it a nickname. Mr. Bee.

How creative.

Jumping when a hand rested on his shoulder, Raven turned to stare at Judith, her ruby eyes staring at him sadly. She could tell what he was thinking about...

"We need to get out in the open, Ba'ul's waiting." she released her grip when he nodded, and she started walking away. Raven followed her lead, but now he frowned. Either he was hearing things, or she whispered "And..thank you." as she turned away from him. Oh well, he wouldn't bother her about it. Getting out in the open, the man was a bit startled when the Entelexeia was right infront of them, staring at them with his huge eyes. Telling her friend to go to the capital, everyone got onboard the ship that lay hanging off Ba'ul, and he started flying towards their destination.

Raven glared furiously ahead. Zaphias' barrier was gone, and a red veil of are clouded over the city. They got closer, and both the princess and the Commandant became more clear. Soon...they'd get that girl back, crush that bastard for all he's done, and then...he'd get Rita's memories back.

"_I damn well promise, Rita, just...just wait for me!_"

---

Sneakers: FFFFFFFFFF. I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SOOOOO SUPER LONG TO GET OUT GUYS. I REALLY TRULY AM. ;_; I'VE JUST BEEN DISTRACTED SINCE SUMMER VACATION STARTED, AND THEN MY TALES OF VESPERIA GAME STOPPED WORKING AND AND AND AND AND AND AND AAAAAAH. I mean I got a new one like yesterday for 30 bucks but... I'M SO SOOORRRRYYYY. DX  
I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME. ;_;

I had the first couple of paragraphs written around early June, but I couldn't seem to write anything afterwards. I knew _exactly_ what I was going to do, but it just...felt rushed to me, so I stopped. ;_;

Then I let my friend read what I had, and she said it didn't seem rushed at all, and that made me want to write it more, but I didn't...  
And then I bought that brand new one.

And getting to Heracles, well, I stopped playing the game for a bit and everyone just sat there motionlessly while I typed the rest of the chapter out. XD Well I took breaks from writing and played too, and now I just got blasted to Capua Nor so. XD

Also, would you guys like me to skim through most of Zopheir or no? It's up to you~

And thanks for still reviewing guys, I hope you keep on reading! And thanks, Frostneko! Even though it was belated, it still made me happy when I read that happy birthday! :D

......Bah, I wish I could update the next chapter sooner as well, but I'll have to make you wait a bit for it too. I'm going to my grandma's for two weeks, and they may have a computer I can go on, but I won't want to like...write stories on their wordpad or anything so. Sorry for making you guys wait...again. XD;;  
I feel really bad. :c

...AND I WANT PATTY DANGIT. Why don't I have a PS3. It's no fair. BUUUUUUUU. 8C


	9. Ride

Tattered Slippers

_Ride_

---

As they inched nearer to the Commandant and princess, the winds seemed to howl in rage, Ba'ul barely able to push through. Raven squinted, barely able to see past the thick blanket of aer. Damnit, he was starting to feel light-headed! Glancing over at Karol, he realized the youngster was holding up better than he was. Maybe it was because the kid was probably getting more sleep and not nearly dying. He glared as the figure of Alexei was barely in his sight, Estelle in her apatheia bubble right next to him, completely helpless.

Everyone seemed to cry out the princess' name, but the man kept his mouth shut. Something didn't feel right, and it wasn't the aer affecting him. Just...something was irking him, but he didn't know why. He had an extremely bad feeling about all this.

Why?! Why did he help that bastard in the first place?! He should have just disobeyed and died, then none of this would have been happening...

Shaking his head, Raven mentally slapped himself. What was done, had been done, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to live with it and move on.

"Yuri!!" the man's attention quickly turned to the young vigilante, who almost flew completely away from the boat, had he not grabbed the dangling ropes. Turning back to his former boss and Estelle, Raven's eyes widened at someone walking up to the platform, and he didn't want to believe it. Rushing to the bow of the boat, the man was finding it exceedingly difficult to breathe.

No...!

No!

No, no, no, no, _NO_!!

Why the hell was Rita there?! She shouldn't be there! Ember... Oh, god! The woman probably hadn't known what was going on in the capital and brought the girl there for better training! But then...why was Rita wandering the castle all by herself?! He watched as the girl stopped and stared at the Entelexeia which thrashed in the wind, before continuing her way to the top. No, no, no, no, no, damnit, no!! He wanted to yell. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her to get the hell away from that man, but his mouth was clamped shut. Damnit, damnit, damnit!! Kneeling and punching the floor with frustration, Raven couldn't catch his breath. Watching the floorboards beneath him fade to a darkened black, the man collapsed as Alexei made Estelle use her power, sending Ba'ul and the group flying.

...Rita...

Groaning, Raven slowly sat up, wincing at the pain that spread throughout his body. Glancing around, he realized he wasn't dead, he wasn't near death, and he wasn't out cold. Yuri, Judith, Karol, Repede, Ba'ul and Tokunaga were all sprawled close by, all unconcious and wounded badly. Reaching for his bow, planning on using Love Shot, the man gagged and keeled over, a sharp pain instantly shooting through both his arm and ribs. Damnit, did he break something? Gritting his teeth, Raven lifted himself up again, trying his best to suppress the burning fires circling through his very being.

"Oh..." the man watched as the Krityan stirred, slowly lifting herself off the ground. As the woman gazed around, dazed, Raven was giving up on his plan on using Love Shot. He didn't even have enough strength to make a single healing needle, let alone a bunch. He also doubted he'd be able to lift his bow that easily, seeing as how it wasn't all that light. Shutting his eyes, he shook his head, body trembling uncontrollably. He didn't know where they came from, but tears soon started zipping down his cheeks, and the man had to lower his head so the Krityan wouldn't see. Raven wasn't sure if he was crying because of the tremendous amount of pain, or the fact that he felt so helpless right now, for both the group and...Rita.

What would that damned Alexei do to her?! The girl wouldn't know the man was evil! Damnit... Damnit...!

"Raven?" looking up as Judith called him, Raven didn't care if the woman thought of him weak anymore. He was just damned tired of this! He was tired of it all and he wanted it to end! Why couldn't things just turn out nice for once? Why did they always have to be bad?! Damnit!!

The look in the Krityan's eyes sent shivers down the man's spine. She looked scared. Why she looked scared, he didn't want to ask. He honestly didn't care right now. He just wanted those poor girls to be safe.

"Raven? What's--"

"Everythin' was my fault, that's what's wrong, damnit!" he shouted, glaring at Judith, who kept the same expression,"Everythin' was all my damned fault! This whole stupid thing happened 'cause of me, and now everyone's sufferin' for it! I want to save them... I want to help ya guys, I do! But...damnit, I just can't fuckin' take it anymore!!" Raven shut his eyes, continuing to shake his head. His body hadn't stopped shaking, and he just felt absolutely horrible. He was sick to his stomach and the pain cornering every inch of his body wasn't helping one bit.

"No it isn't."

"Huh?"

"It's not your fault. You had no choice, your life was being threatened. No matter what you may have thought, you always wanted to keep on living. You know, not everyone gets as many chances as you have."

"Damnit, don't you think I know that?! Don't you think...that some kid who died too young deserved that second chance, other than me?!" Raven couldn't stop himself. He wanted to live to help save Estelle, to help get Rita back, and he wanted to live so badly to help those two... Yet, he couldn't help but feel it wasn't_ fair_. Why _him_? Couldn't the Gods have spared a younger life gone too soon, other than him? Damnit...

The Krityan stared at the man, looking annoyed now, before sighing and saying nothing more, looking over her shoulder to examine Ba'ul. It seemed like she didn't have the strength to bother moving either. Trying to calm himself down, Raven continued taking deep breaths, telling himself over and over again,"You're here for a reason, Raven. You're here for a reason... And you damn well know why, so quit feelin' sorry for yourself!"

Feeling like eternity, a couple minutes passed and the man wasn't crying or shaking anymore. Turning as the dog started to stir, Raven blinked, suddenly wondering what...the new Rita would do around Repede. Would she be scared? Would she try dressing him up? Or would she just flat out ignore the canine? With that in mind, he started wondering how she would react to...well everyone. Would she actually get along with Karol? Would she still seem like a sister to Estelle? Smiling dimly, the man chuckled softly. Questioning this wasn't going to get him anywhere. They'd have to save the girl, and they'd all find out for themselves how she'd acknowledge everyone.

"Ugh...I'm...alive?" it seemed like everyone was regaining conciousness now. Watching as Yuri slowly lifted himself off the ground, Karol slowly opened his eyes, as did Tokunaga and Ba'ul slowly lifted himself.

Wincing at the pain, Yuri stared at everyone,"Are you guys...okay?"

"...I'll live... I think I may have snapped a few bones, though." Raven commented, slowly gripping his arm. The monsters around here were weak, but even still, in the condition they were in, it would prove to be a bit difficult in defeating them. If only they had some holy bottles, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad. They probably were all broken in the ships cargo though, along with everything else in there.

Quickly standing up, Judith dusted herself off,"I'm fine." she replied, staring darkly at Raven before turning to the Entelexeia.

"Yuri..." the youngest groaned, still sprawled on the ground,"...It hurts..."

"Try not to talk." the vigilante advised, carefully helping Karol on his feet. Turning to the Krityan, he asked,"I don't think we can count on Ba'ul to give us lifts for awhile, huh?"

The Krityan shook her head,"I'm afraid not. Thank you for all you've done for us so far, old friend." she nodded as the Entelexeia gradually lifted itself in the air, Tokunaga quickly scrambling onto the boat. The man hadn't been as injured as the others, seeing as how he was inside the cabin when they'd been tossed. The man had probably scurried out to see how everyone was doing, before collapsing himself.

"Thanks, Ba'ul. Get some rest! You, too, Tokunaga!" as the Entelexeia soon became airborne, he slowly flew off, leaving the group of humans behind. Finally thinking it was time to stand, Raven struggled to get on his feet, his whole body detesting the motion. Dizziness swathed through him once he stood, and he had to lean on a tree behind him for support so he wouldn't fall. Finding it hard to catch his breath, the man wondered how far it was to a city. He was sure he wouldn't be able to do a long journey in this condition, and he doubted everyone else could either.

"Judy, do you know where we are? I don't think Karol or the old man here are up for a hike."

"Hmm...it seems we're in a forest near Nor Harbor. I don't think it'd take that long to get there."

"All right, then, let's head out. Old man, you need to rest first?"

Raven grinned weakly and stepped away from the tree, almost falling over,"Heh...If I can't keep up with ya guys right now, we won't be leavin' this spot." limping after the rest of the group, Raven was scared when everything would go fuzzy and fade-out for a second. If he collapsed here, they were screwed. Nobody would be able to put up much of a fight, and there was no way in hell anyone would be in shape to carry him the rest of the way to the port town. They didn't have any mats, tents or barriers to rest with either. They'd used them all up earlier in their journey and hadn't thought of buying more.

After plenty painful amounts of minutes passed, the group finally reached Capua Nor, absolutely exhausted. They hadn't encountered any monsters along the way, which was strangely odd, but they weren't complaining. Even though he'd been struggling just to keep up with everyone, Raven had to press all his willpower on staying awake, even in the town. His ears had started ringing uncontrollably and the man was barely able to hear anything anyone said anymore. Right now all the jumbled confusion around the city was just that; jumbled confusion in his ears.

The man hadn't even realized Yuri had talked to someone to help them until Judith tapped on his shoulder and started walking to the inn. Upon reserving a room, the group sat around, waiting while Teagle, or whoever, got a doctor. Raven's eyelids felt extremely weighted, and he almost fell flat on his face until Yuri pushed him back, staring at the older man with concern. Raven just gave him a soft smile, leaning his head against the wall behind him, breathing seeming like a chore.

It didn't take long for Teagle to return with a doctor, who treated Karol first. Soon, everyone was healed and told to rest for a long while, but of course they wouldn't be able to. They had a princess to save...and Rita. Raven clenched his fists, despite the pain that still shot through his body, not sure if he should tell everyone else or not. Of course they'd figure out eventually, but... He thought they deserved to know, yet he wasn't sure how to put it in words. It wouldn't be best going,"Oh, yeah! Hey, guys, we also have to save Rita too since I saw her walkin' up to Alexei. 'Kay? Thanks."

"Hey, old man, get some rest." Raven turned at the sudden...order from the ex-knight, who sat in a nearby chair.

Judith nodded from where she sat on the floor,"Yes, I believe that would be best. You've been forcing yourself to stay awake, haven't you?" Raven scoffed, before slowly lifting himself to his feet.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Oh, yeah."

Smiling, the man dragged himself to the empty bed, taking a small glance at the already fast-asleep Karol. Before climbing under the covers, Raven turned to Yuri,"If I have any nightmares, you'll hold me, won't ya?"

The ex-knight laughed, shaking his head,"I wouldn't count on it, old man."

"Aw."

Taking off his shoes, the man crawled under the blankets, sighing as he closed his eyes. It took him a bit longer to actually zone out then he thought, but he did manage to hear the two awake ones have the smallest conversation he'd ever heard before drowning in an empty sleep.

"Yuri..."

"Yeah, I know."

---

Sneakers: Hai, guys! I'm baack! ...W-well, I've been back since the 10th, but I got sick (and I still sorta kinda am. wtf. D: ) and and yeah. I've been trying to hard to get this finished early, but I've been so distracted with my brother getting BlazBlue, me trying to 100% Vesperia (all I need is that damned Back-Up Plan achievement), and all these oneshots zooming back and forth in my head. I also want to start writing this ToA story, too, but I promised myself not to write anymore chapter stories until I'm done the current one. (Magical Bee and Vagabond Wolf doesn't count since they're all a bunch of random oneshots lolo)

Yeah, so I'm sorry this took so long to get up guys! I promise I'll try getting the other one up soon, too, if I don't get distracted some more. DX  
I'm also sorry that this isn't the greatest chapter ever. There wasn't much I could really think of for it. ._.;

But thank you guys for your patience, and I hope you can put up with me (hopefully not anymore) taking awhile getting the chappies up. XD;


	10. White Sky

Tattered Slippers

_White Sky_

---

"Come on, old man, time to get up." Raven groaned as Yuri shook his shoulder. He was hurting all over. He didn't want to move. He lazily opened one eye to stare at the ex-knight, otherwise, he didn't move from his spot. He heard the other man sigh, before the blankets were ripped away from Raven's body, who whined and slowly rolled out of bed.

"Ehmead Hill was fried, we can't take that route to get back to Zaphias. We'll have to go through the Blade Drifts of Zopheir, and we've already wasted enough time. You have an hour to get yourself together, old man, and then we're leaving. We can't keep Estelle or Rita waiting."

Wait... What did he just say?!

Raven stared, shocked, at the ex-knight, mouth open wide. Had he heard him right, or was his brain malfunctioning from the pain and tiredness?

"D-did you say..." the man quickly shot out his words, slowly standing and shaking his head as he lifted himself off the edge of the bed,"Rita?"

Yuri nodded, his darkened eyes shyly grazed over with concern,"Yeah. She was walking up to the platform where Estelle and Alexei were, right? I knew something was up when I saw this very yellow person that seemed out of place, and despite me dangling off the ropes, I could still see you run up to the front of the boat."

Biting his lip, Raven lightly shook his head and clutched his fists at his sides, glaring at his feet. So...he hadn't been imagining it. Of course, he hadn't thought he was, but there was this tiny little prick in him telling him the little lie. Now, that lie was obliterated.

"I...I got one of my knights to watch over her...but...she must not have known about Zaphias. And now...I never imagined I'd have to save her from that man... I didn't want that to happen!" punching the nearby wall, Raven's body shook with overwhelming emotions, mostly of rage. Damn that Alexei!! What would he do to the poor girl? She would probably believe everything the man would have to say!

When Yuri placed his hand on the older man's shoulder, Raven slowly looked up, the vigilante smiling softly,"Hey, don't think you're the only one going to save her. Rita's our friend too, and even if she does have amnesia, we'll still fight to get her back. Alexei's hands are going to get personally ripped off by messing with two of our friends, trust me, I'll make sure of it. Now go get yourself ready, we're leaving pretty soon." and with that, Yuri gave the man another pat and walked out of the room, leaving Raven to himself.

The Blade Drifts of Zopheir, huh? It was going to be cold, but it probably wouldn't matter to him. He already felt cold.

Damn that Alexei...

Taking the broken goggles out of his pocket, Raven clutched them tightly in his hand. He hadn't felt any warmth from them in a while, and it sort of worried him. Was the original Rita gone, or had he just been imagining the heat? No, he hadn't imagined it, there was no way. Perhaps Rita just needed something to get herself to communicate through the goggles, and an empty inn room was not that certain something.

Placing the item back in his pocket, Raven headed for the door, before a sudden flash of seering pain shot through his side.

"Not..again..!" the man gasped, falling to his knees. That damned wound he gave himself, why did it do this to him?!

This time, there was no laughter. There was no other voice. There was nothing but pain, and it continued to grow. Yet, he slowly and shakily got back to his feet. He wasn't letting this get to him, he wasn't letting this keep him from going anywhere anymore! He wasn't going to let this stupid thing beat him! He did it to himself, and now he was going to prove whatever it was that he could take responsibility for his sins!

Taking a couple of steps forward, it felt like his feet were concrete slamming into the ground, the room circling in waves as he pushed his legs forward. Two more steps, and the pain vanished, Raven almost falling flat on his face from relief, but catching himself at the last moment.

The man smiled and lightly chuckled to himself. He wasn't going to lose himself anymore. He wasn't going to lose to pain, death or anything else that stood in his way. He told himself before to fight, and now, he was really going to fight. There was nothing more to it, he wasn't going to lose!

Heading out of the inn, he called to the youngest member of Brave Vesperia, who was sitting on a box near the alley of the port town. Karol turned to Raven and nodded, before staring back at his bag and fiddling with his fingers.

Walking over to the guild boss, Raven held his hands behind his head,"What's the matter, Karol? Ya look like yer gonna cry."

"R-really?!" the boy jumped and stared at the man wildly,"W-well I'm not! I swear! I was just thinking..."

"Were ya now? Whatya thinkin' about, hm?" the older man raised an eyebrow in question, as Karol sighed and sat back on the box.

"Just...about Estelle...And Rita, too. You said she lost her memory, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well...I know it sounds stupid, but that sort of scares me. What if we need her help, but she can't do anything because she's not...a genius any more...Or...something like that. I'm probably just thinking too hard."

Raven shook his head, patting Karol on the head,"Nah, don't feel like that, kiddo. To be honest...it scares me, too."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. But we're goin' ta get her memories back, so we don't have ta be scared! We're gonna get our genius mage and princess back, right?"

"Yeah! Right!" Karol grinned, hopping off the box again and giving Raven a hi-five.

"Oh, there you are!" the two turned to see Judith, Yuri and Repede walking towards them, smiling.

"If you two are ready," Yuri smirked, lifting his sword and resting it on his shoulder,"we can go ahead and start walking to the Blade Drifts. The faster we get moving, the faster we can get to Zaphias."

"I'm ready, Yuri!" Karol shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

"I'm ready, too. Ain't nothin' here I need." Raven commented, giving a thumbs-up.

Laughing, Yuri waved his hand,"All right, then, let's head out!" and started walking to the town's entrance, everyone following the man. Raven distantly stared at the looming sun looming overhead, and he knew he wouldn't be seeing it for a while once they entered the Blade Drifts. He knew all he'd see would be white. He was going to enjoy that sun while he could.

---

Sneakers: .....FFFFF I'm so sorry again for taking forever to put this up! And I'm so so SOO sorry it sucks, too! But I had writers block and and and and and nfdgjhfdkhlfdjkhjkfdhkfls;. DX  
I also got surgery on my toe the other day (it's a LONG story) so yeah. I get this week of school off cuzza that, so I might be able to get the next chappie up hopefully soon, I'm not sure.

Sorry again for the wait, guys! Trust me, I feel really bad for keeping you waiting for so long again, and then giving you a not-very-exciting chapter. DX


	11. Monochrome

Tattered Slippers

_Monochrome_

---

"Raven, slow down!"

"..."

"C'mon, old man, cool your jets! We need to stick together!"

"..."

"Yes, and with that giant monster just roaming under our feet, we have to be careful."

"..." he wasn't going to say anything, he wouldn't! If he did, the first things out of his frozen lips would be,"Why's it so goddamn cold?!" He couldn't complain, because if he did, he'd probably never stop until his lips literally froze over or they got back to someplace warm. Besides, he had better things to do than complain about a little snow...and ice...and freezing wing...or more ice...and no warmth...and more snow...and...why couldn't this place also be a nice, warm, hot, toasty desert?!

"Old man, I'm serious! Slow down!!"

He didn't want to! He'd get colder! He wished they had learned to walk faster. Damned kids.

"Raven, watch out!" _now _was when the man finally stopped, only to get drenched in the ice-cold water from below. The large, unintelligent monster that the group has seen near the entrance of the Blade Drifts had just demolished a sheet of ice which Raven was just about to step on. The man snarled, and bet if the monster were intelligent, it'd be laughing at him right now.

"Raven, are you all right?!" the man slowly turned to Karol, who stared up at him worriedly, the others not far behind in catching up.

Raven's lip twitched before he started to frantically rub his hands together,"I-i-i-i-it's s-s-so C-C-C-COLD!!" Karol sighed while Yuri shook his head and Judith folded her arms, frowning.

The Krityan stared sternly at the eldest member, her voice teetering on the edge of anger as she commented,"Now we should be rushing to get out of here. We can't have you getting hypothermia and dying on us, although I do think you will get at least to the first stage before we leave."

"Ya d-d-didn't hafta be s-so..." Raven paused, thinking for a word,"...b-blunt."

The Krityan raised an eyebrow before turning on her heel and walking away, the young boy and dog following after her. Yuri lightly grabbed ahold of Raven's arm and dragged him along, and the five continued walking. Nobody seemed to speak now, the only thing that brought sound was the howling winds and their crunching footsteps in the snow.

The swordsman hadn't let go of the older man's arm, and even though the grip was light, Raven noticed it was starting to go numb, yet he could still slightly feel it shaking... Then he realized his whole body was shaking. Wearily using his other hand, he reached in his pocket and gripped onto the goggles. For some odd reason, they usually felt warm, no matter the scenario.

"_Rita... Stay strong... I'm tryin', so you try... Ya better try...Or...I just hope ya do._"

"_...You idiot._" Raven jumped at the sudden voice and pain that surged through his arm, only to wind up slipping and dragging himself and Yuri down on the ice. Both men seethed in pain at the harsh impact, Karol and Judith carefully helping them up. The swordsman rubbed his right arm and glared at the older man.

"What the hell, Raven?!" flinching at the tone of the younger man's voice, Raven raised his hands in defense, before having to clutch them to his shoulders to try to stop his shaking.

He heard her. He heard her as if she were standing right beside him! There was no way he was imagining it, he couldn'ta been!

"This isn't good. We need to get out of here before his condition gets any worse." Raven stared at the Krityan woman, who was eyeing something off in the distance. She swiftly grabbed the man's arm like the vigilante had and started walking again. His arm still felt numb, and he slowly started to lose the sensation in his other arm as they continued walking.

"Raven, say something." the man glanced curiously at the woman who continued to lead the way to whatever she'd been looking at earlier.

"...H-hi?" he stuttered.

"Good. Are you tired?"

"..."

"Raven, answer me."

"...S-orta?"

"Do you feel sick?"

"...Sicka th-this c-c-cold..."

"I'm not joking around."

The tone of Judith's voice was oddly sharp, and it kept on piercing at Raven's soul. He felt like flinching everytime she spoke at this time, but he was shivering too much to do so.

"Answer me, Raven. Do you feel sick?" the woman asked again, still not looking back.

"A little...I g-guess."

"All right." Raven slowly raised an eyebrow, expecting something more than an 'all right', but Judith said nothing more after that.

More minutes of walking passed, and all that shoved by was more snow, ice, water and the occassional monster or two on land. The monsters weren't that hard, but everytime they encountered another one, the older man was finding it exceedingly difficult to get a grip on his bow, his hands barely functionable. Even just casting his spells was becoming a chore, his shivering causing him to barely say his incantations right, despite their simplicity. Damnit, he knew this wasn't going to turn out good if they didn't get out of there soon.

Continuing their walk, Yuri and Judith took turns leading the old man, who was slowly starting to lose the feelings in his legs as well. The Krityan would ask him questions at times, which he would try his best to answer. He was getting very tired, his vision starting to blur.

"Hey, isn't that an aer krene?" he heard the young boy question as they got closer to something quit big. All Raven saw was white and some blobs of yellow.

"I think it is, but we don't have time to examine it. C'mon!" Yuri replied, tugging on Raven's arm, before they both fell to the ground. He didn't know why, all he knew was that he felt very weak.

"That monster used the aer krene to stop us?!"

"Karol, get outta the way!"

"Y-Yuri!!"

Damnit, what was going on?! His vision was fading from good to bad and he was all so confused! He couldn't move, other than his constant shivering! What was going on?!

The whole scene seemed to be moving in waves. Everybody was yelling, there was lots of screeching from something, and there was more yelling and screeching until suddenly the pull that kept him on the ground seemed to be lifted. That didn't help the man though, as he fell on his side in weariness. He could feel the pink goggles digging into his skin as he lay on the pocket that contained them, the headgear burning.

"_Idiot! Get up!!_"

And there she was again... He was just so happy to hear her talk like that. Maybe...maybe when he got back to her physical form and put the goggles on her head and brought her to an aer krene or something, she'd remember?

"_You're going to die if you don't move!_"

Blinking, Raven slowly struggled to his feet. His whole body was numb, and it seemed like he was barely in control of his own actions anymore, but he still somehow made it back on his feet and he stared dimly ahead. His sight was still teetering through good and bad, but he could make out that Yuri, Karol, Judith and the dog were fighting that monster they'd seen at the entrance.

A small smirk slid onto his face. So they left him there to die? Or was the monster going to eat him and they were just fending it off? Either way, they did just leave him in the snow by himself, that was sorta mean on their part!

Shakily, he gripped onto his heart and closed his eyes. Words of an incantation he'd never heard before flew rapidly into his head, and when he looked at the battle before him, he could see the small group struggling against the giant beast. Raven knew he had once chance to hit this thing.

Unable to stop his shivering, the man went on ahead and started to mutter the incantation. He wasn't quite sure what he was saying, and he figured once he casted, he'd never know the words to this spell again. Through all the stutters in his words, through all the numbness and tiredness cascading his body, Raven could still feel the energy of the magic circle glowing radiantly beneath his feet, the sky darkening as he continued to cast the spell.

A giant pillar of light surrounded the monster, and Raven barely saw his friends escape as he muttered the last words of his spell,

"This ends now! _INDIGNATION_!!"

---

Sneakers: Damn straight.

So...yeah... Sorry AGAIN for taking FOREVER to upload another chappie. I've just been so busy and hjfdlhgjkfdglhl. I'm also..sorta losing the inspiration to write this story. Trust me, I really, really, REALLY want to finish it and not just leave you guys hanging there, but sometimes I just wish the thing would write itself, you know? XD;

And is it just me, or are the chapters getting considerably shorter? ._.''

Butbut I hope you enjoyed, and and I hope you understand if it takes me a bit to get the next chapter up. I still feel bad for taking forever though. XD;;

And I think I totally failed in the hypothermia aspect lol. I have no idea. XD


	12. Way to Fall

Tattered Slippers  
_Way to Fall_  
---

"Raven, that was awesome! How did you do that?!"

"Yeah, old man, that was pretty sick."

Raven blinked, glancing at his hands. How did he--? Shaking his head, he weakly smiled at the rest of the group, before giving a thumbs up. "I'm Raven the Great! My greatness musta overpowered at the sight of ya youngin's close ta death, so I harnessed the energy deep within my soul and unleashed it on the foul beast!" The man could have sworn he saw a tumbleweed roll by in the silence that followed.

"…Well it seems we don't have to worry about your hypothermia anymore." The Krityan finally spoke, lightly shaking her head and sighing. Raven hesitantly laughed. He didn't feel sick anymore, but he was extremely tired. That spell took much more energy than anything else he'd done before. Despite the black spots that fuzzed in his vision before disappearing, he turned to Karol, lightly shuffling his hair.

"What about you, kiddo? That was quite a stunt you pulled."

Karol blushed, shyly rubbing the back of his head,"Hah… Th-That? That was nothing! But… I think I figured out what the Don told me."

"'Take care of your friends and they'll be there when you need them'...right?" the swordsman smiled, glancing at the young boy.

The youngest turned to look at everyone else before looking up at the clouded sky,"I think I understand what he was talking about now..."

Raven squinted, the black dots getting larger before filling his vision completely. Why did he keep passing out so much?

"_When you...f-ind her...tell her...I'm...s...sorry..._" it was that voice again. That voice he heard when he fell asleep on the war ship to the Heracles. The image was still blurry, and the voice still sounded robotic, but at least he could hear all the words. He just wondered who was saying it, why they were saying it, and who were they talking about.

And those other voices, whenever his side started to burn uncontrollably, they hadn't appeared in awhile. He didn't want to be reminded of those people more than necessary. He didn't need to be thinking about them when he had something much more important to do.

Couldn't life just let him atone for his sins instead of interrupt him with all these blackouts and near-death experiences? It would be so much more helpful if life would stop being an ass. Sure, he did some terrible things, but now he was trying to make up for them! People who did much worse than he did couldn't say the same thing!

Groaning, Raven found himself waking up with his head pounding, whole body sore; he was barely able to open his eyes. Painfully sliding himself in a sitting position, the older man was greeted with a sleeping Karol and Judith. Raven blinked, looking out the giant window to his left; seeing a giant blossoming tree outside. They were in Halure. The man seethed as he made his way out of the bed, wondering how they managed to get this far carrying him around. The kid himself looked pretty exhausted after that fight, and he wouldn't blame the boy if he passed out too. If that was the case, then the Krityan woman and vigilante had had their work cut out for them.

Speaking of which, where was Yuri?

Almost falling over as he took a couple steps forward, he was barely able to hear mumbled words coming from outside the door. Getting himself closer, the voice disappeared. Opening the door, he barely caught Repede's tail as it left the inn. Lightly closing the door to the room he was just in, Raven slowly made his way down the stairs, trying not to flinch as it was just absolutely devastating.

Heh. Even now Rita could still call him physical pain.

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, he huddled to the entrance, finally leaving the inn after what felt like hours. _Plenty_ of agonizing hours. A rush of fresh air overflowed him, and he almost felt compelled to go back to sleep. Glancing to the entrance of the town, Raven wasn't shocked to see Yuri attempting to leave; the young prince talking to him didn't seem shocking either. The man made his way towards to the two, raising an eyebrow when the dog ambled towards him. The swordsman looked behind his shoulder at Repede's movements as Ioder dismissed himself, giving a short bow towards Raven before heading off to the mayor's house.

"You should still get some rest, old man." Yuri shook his head, a concerned frown on his lips."It looks like it hurts with every step you take."

Raven winced at both the comment, and the sudden way his ankle twisted as he continued his path forward. He managed to put on a short smile,"I-I'm fine! For Raven the Great, this is nothin'!"

"…Raven the Great should get some rest. You're going to end up dead if you keep pushing yourself like this; just look at all the times you've keeled over or just stood by death's door! Remember Heracles?"

The archer scoffed. Of course he knew! He could count all the times such things happened to him! He didn't want them to, damn it! It wasn't his fault!

Deciding to ignore Yuri's questions, he replied by asking his own,"So what are you goin' ta do out here by yerself? You're not thinkin' of goin' ta Zaphias all by yerself, huh? That's practically mass suicide on yerself there, kid. Do ya know how many soldiers Alexei'll have wanderin' about, ready to bust yer head open?"

"I won't be alone, I'll have Repede." At that comment, the canine barked and waved his tail, returning back to his owner's side.

Raven shook his head,"Yeah, but will both of ya be able to take on a full fleet of Alexei's army by yerselves?"

The dark-haired swordsman just shrugged, turning to walk away,"Go to bed, old man."

"No, I'm goin' with ya." The younger man stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

"Ya heard me, I'm goin' with ya."

"…No, you're not. You're too weak, you can barely walk. You need sleep or it's going to be more near death experiences for you."

"I'm not dyin' until I rescue those poor girls."

"…Fine, just take it easy; Repede and I'll do most of the fights." Raven smiled, gleefully stepping beside the ex-knight, flinching at his now very, very sore ankle and everything else.

Keeping in line with Yuri and Repede, Raven watched as they blew through the enemies with ease. Their original route had been to go through the Deidon Hold, but glimpsing over there, the trio could see a giant beast looming around the gates; the canine decided he'd lead them to the Quoi Woods. Upon entering the woods, Raven couldn't help but shiver at how eerie this place looked with the lurking shadows falling over the already dark trees.

"Don't go wetting your pants now, Mr. Raven the Great~" Even though Yuri wasn't facing him, the man swear he could feel that sly smirk stitched on his face.

"I've seen plenty of scarier things in my time, youngin'." He shook his head, trying not to think of said terrifying things, and not succeeding all that well.

As they ventured deeper into the woods, they finally reached a spot where enemies seemed to stay clear from. Raven raised a curious eyebrow as Yuri stared intently at the broken blastia lying on the ground, but didn't question it. The younger man gave a small, curt laugh a little afterwards, before sitting down, Raven sitting next to a nearby tree.

Crossing his legs, the older man leaned forward,"Mind sharin' what's so funny?"

"It's nothing." The swordsman smirked, eyeing Raven from the edges of his vision,"Just remembering Estelle's face when she ate a nia fruit."

Raven laughed as well,"I bet that was some sight! Those things are nasty!"

"He he, yeah." Silence followed the two men as they rested, looking up through the leaves to the stars. The silence was neither awkward, nor peaceful; it was filled with tension that both of them could feel. They didn't know what was going to happen next, if they would be able to save the princess and the young mage, but they knew they would damn well try even if it meant in their deaths. They were always risking their lives anyway.

If it meant dying for their friends, family, or village; they wouldn't hesitate.

Yuri looked over lazily,"Hey, Repede, go keep watch for us, all right?" and the canine gave a short bark, getting himself up from his comfy position and stalking away.

"Old man, have you…ever felt like there's giant weights, pressuring you down everywhere you go, making you tired as all hell that's not exhaustion?" Raven blinked, realizing exactly how pale and tired the swordsman looked.

"Oh yeah… I've felt like that more than you can probably ever imagine." The feeling had never left him once he first experienced it on top of him. He wondered how long Yuri'd been feeling the dreaded consciousness of that heaviness brought upon him. Raven knew the younger man would be rid of some of it soon, and he hoped he could lose the rest or most of it as well.

Resting his head against the trunk of the tree, Raven found himself yawning, and staring at an amused ex-knight who looked ready to topple over.

"Have some good dreams, old man."

"You too, kid."

No more words were exchanged, as both men drifted into deprived darkness.

---

Sneakers: HAY, SUP. I AM BACK….er sorta. I'm sorry for being all ghdfjkglhdfk with updates on this story, but ever since like…Christmas break, I've been obsessed with Metal Gear lol. I got a PS3, and MGS4 (I borrowed MGS2 from my friend in like November first lol but yeah…now I own all of em…or most), and in like January, my brother bought Bayonetta for the 360. So I was busy playing Metal Gear, and my brother had Bayonetta. Couple of weeks after my brother got Bayonetta, our Xbox360 got…THE DREADED RROD. WHOO. But I mean it's not like we had it for a couple of months or anything, we got it around the time it came out so it lasted an awesome while whoo. But it's sort of…hard writing a story you can't play the game too, ya know? I mean yeah, this was originally inspired by a dream, but it was inspired by the game more.  
….I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. XD  
SO TL;DR. BUSY PLAYING METAL GEAR A LOT. XBOX360 GOT RROD. I B R SAD CUZ I CAN'T PLAY ToV ANYMORE LOL… Well I have the PS3 demo…. WRITING CHAPTERS FOR THIS AND MB&VW MAY TAKE AWHILE.  
…Damn, I can't play BlazBlue either. Buuuuuu.  
We need a new 360… ;  
But yeah, hope you enjoy this chapter lol.  
And if you like Metal Gear, don't be afraid to read my stories for those! …Which I only have one up so far and it's not done but school is also eating my time. Whoo. XD;


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